Analysis Of Mans Search For Meaning By Viktor Frankl - Essay Example

Man’s Search For Meaning s Part I In his seminal work ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’, Viktor Frankl approaches the issue of meaning of life through the prism of his death camp experience and provides his considerations regarding meaninglessness of life that was experienced by most camp inmates in the conditions of ultimate oppression, loss of freedom and sensible imminence of death. Meaninglessness is described as a complex state constituted by various factors, which is partially caused by the “mismatch between one’s lived experience and one’s desired experience” (Burton, 2012). First, as human life is generally consists of certain day-to-day achievements accumulated in the course of time and eventually leading an individual to a certain ‘major’ purpose (which is, of course, defined by him/herself), the loss of freedom to accomplish minor goals makes a person lose meaning in life. However, the achievement that “cannot be taken away” is spiritual freedom, and it is expected to endow the life with meaning (Frankl, 1984, p.87). Thus, the meaninglessness is characterized by the loss of spiritual freedom and loss of prospects for future, those people literally live in the past, seeing no future for themselves. Next, Frankl mentions creativity and enjoyment as factors that contribute to meaningfulness of life. Most people feel their lives to be meaningful when they have opportunities for self-expression. Meaninglessness is sensed, when a person is deprived of the abovementioned outlets and isn’t able to admit meaningfulness of both negative and positive life events, i.e. – in a particular case of death camp imprisonment – suffering. “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” (Frankl, 1984, p.86). Therefore, inability to admit the fact that even the bitterest situations have meaning, i.e. inability to change one’s attitude towards unfavorable circumstances that cannot be changed, is another element of the state of meaninglessness. The third element of the discussed state is demolition of the values that were held by an individual: “Under the influence of a world which no longer recognized the value of human life and human dignity, which had robbed man of his will and had made him an object to be exterminated […] the personal ego finally suffered a loss of values” (Frankl, 1984, p.70). Another element contributing to the state of meaninglessness are lack of love, for Frankl sees love as a powerful motivator. According to Oakley (2010, p.106), “people who find their own lives meaningless are also suffering, in varying degrees, failure of motivation, anhedonia, and distress”. In other words, it is always negative experience that makes people lose meaning in life. Judging by this statement, we can suppose that, apart from death camps, any severe stressful or devastating events might cause the state of meaninglessness: for instance, loss of a beloved person who inspired and motivated an individual; serious injury that deprives one of an opportunity to work fruitfully and exercise creativity (like a painter losing his/her arm in a car accident) and so on. Part II Frankl refers to logotherapy as to the “meaning-centered psychotherapy” (Frankl, 1984, p.120), therefore, this kind of existential psychotherapy revolves around search, acquisition and restoration of meaningfulness in an individual’s life. Once the will to meaning (like will to pleasure or power) is baffled, existential frustration occurs, leading to so-called noögenic neuroses. This makes treatment of those neuroses the key step in dealing with the loss of meaning. Frankl would distance himself from focusing on mental aspect of a patient’s issue, as “mans concern, even his despair, over the worthwhileness of life is an existential distress but by no means a mental disease” (Frankl, 1984, p.125). The logotherapist handles loss of meaning through listening, interpretation and analysis of the patient’s concerns as well as through further expansion of a patient’s visual field of potential meanings filling his/her life; in other words, the role of the therapist was described as that of an ophthalmologist, i.e. helping an individual to see the reality as it really is. One of the methods described is perceptual shifting. Furthermore, the therapists works to enhance and highlight existential dynamics in a patient’s life, i.e. emphasizes the tension between past accomplishments and future opportunities for further accomplishments (Tate, 2013, p.84). The method of dereflection applied in logotherapy is understood as positive redirection of a patient’s mind from the goals that cannot be achieved (which might have been the trigger for the loss of meaning) to new goals based on the available and relevant assents possessed by him/her. In addition to that, the new purpose must be concrete and thus imposing certain responsibility for its achievement on the patient. One more technique described by Frankl is paradoxical intention, the bass for which is self-distancing (Lewis, 2013, p.50). This means that the therapist helps the patient to develop an alternative attitude to the thing or event he/she fears and perceived it with humor. As logotherapy focuses rather on existential issues of individuals rather than on their mental health, it is appropriate to mention that – from Frankl’s perspective, many people might have purely existential problems connected to the loss of meaning that result in unfavorable emotional states, anxieties and so on. This perspective coincides with the views of Alan Francis concerning tendency for overdiagnosing mental illnesses in people, who simply don’t have them, based on the similarity of symptoms, e.g. apathy and even grief can be considered indicators of mental illnesses, though they can be side effects of the sense of meaninglessness of life. Part III This book is a precious source of motivation and helpful information that might change one’s perception of life and everyday situations and obstacles one faces. Of course, the very first advantage of Frankl’s work lies in the fact that the things he shares with the readership were experienced and ‘tested’ by himself. Although the experience he describes is exceptional in terms of severity of circumstances and deprivations (death camp imprisonment is unlikely to be experienced by the average members of the modern civilized society), the issue of existential meaninglessness is rather relevant nowadays, too. Therefore, the strategies and perceptions of life meaning described by Frankl can be applied by people in day-to-day lives, as they might learn to perceive losses and hardships in a less fatalistic way. There are many people, who happen to lose certain constituents of their lives’ meaningfulness: some might experience death of a beloved person, others lose physical ability to work on their major goals achievement (like gifted enthusiastic sportsmen that become paralyzed because of traumas). However, the set of techniques enumerated by Frankl and his reflections on perception of hardships (i.e. learning to embrace their meaningfulness) might be helpful in preserving motivation and optimism even in the most depressing situations. Furthermore, experience as an aspect of meaningfulness of life as well as ability to admit ad form the right attitude towards death as a complementing part of life could help terminally ill patients – like Morrie in ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ to preserve their will to meaning and prevent them from suicide. Generally, logotherapy and the approach described in the book are helpful in forming positive attitudes towards life as it is, i.e. finding meaning and reason for everything that happens to us; and, of course, the most immediate application of the book is preventing and struggling against depression with help of finding a goal in life. Reference list Burton, N. (2012). Mans Search for Meaning: Meaning as a cure for depression and other ills. In Burton, N. Hide and Seek - The Psychology of Self-Deception. Acheron Press. Retrieved April 30, 2015 from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/mans-search-meaning Frankl, V.E. (1984). Man’s Search for Meaning. Washington Square Press. Lewis, M.H. (2013). A Logotherapy Hermeneutic Developed and Applied To the Book of Job (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved April 30, 2015 from http://www.marshallhlewis.net/papers/LogoHermDiss.pdf Oakley, T. (2010). The Issue Is Meaninglessness. Monist, 93(1), 106-122. Tate, K. D. (2013). Finding Purpose in Pain: Using Logotherapy as a Method for Addressing Survivor Guilt in First-Generation College Students. Journal Of College Counseling, 16(1), 79-92. Read More