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A character orientation is the direction of the libidinous or passionate strivings of a man which makes it possible to describe his character structure uniformly. Character traits (e.g. miserliness, pedantry and intolerance) get together to an orientation and are part of the basic orientation of the character. Erich Fromm was a theorist who came up with four different character orientations; receptive orientation, exploitative orientation, hoarding orientation, and marketing orientation. All of these orientations are affected by society and they each embody a particular solution to the problem of adapting to social demands that is placed on people today.

Contents 1 Receptive Orientation 2 Exploitative Orientation 3 Hoarding Orientation 4 Marketing Orientation 5 See also

[edit] Receptive Orientation

Receptive oriented people are not givers; they are takers. They receive satisfaction from outside factors. They passively wait for others to provide them with things that they need. For example, they want for someone to provide them with love and attention. They are not the ones to give these things away.

[edit] Exploitative Orientation

Exploitative oriented people are egocentric and conceited. These types of people do whatever they can to get what they want; even if it includes stealing, or snatching something away from somebody else just to get it. Exploitative people are often “aggressive.”

[edit] Hoarding Orientation

Hoarding oriented people save all that they can, whatever it may be. It may be love, power, or someone’s time. They just like to have things, even things that they do not necessarily need or use. Hoarding oriented people do not like to share their things; they have a hard time letting things go. Sigmund Freud would say that they never fully completed the anal stage.

[edit] Marketing Orientation

Marketing oriented people do whatever they can to sell themselves.

[edit] See also

• Personality