Man's Search For Meaning
Started reading Man’s Search For Mean, by Viktor Frankl. yesterday.
The book is a look inside the horrors that happened during the Holocaust in Germany’s concentration camps. Frankl, a psychiatrist, provides an intriguing view into not only what happened, but how people reacted to and attempted to find meaning withing the confines of this bleak environment.
Frankl was writing from first-hand experience, having spent almost three years in Auschwitz, Turkheim and Dachau.
Some people in these horrific camps literally GAVE UP. Some committed suicide or just gave up all hope, became sickly and were quickly executed. Others persevered while finding happiness in their INTERNAL FREEDOM, while still others remained DELUSIONAL & OPTIMISTIC about their sure-to-be impending freedom, despite the long odds.
It was the middle group that fared best. Finding happiness in their freedom to think whatever they choose. Savoring even the SMALLEST THINGS….a small peak at the sun, a dry crust of bread, a bird chirping. It was people with this demeanor, less shaken by the horrors of what was happening around them, yet AWARE of their environment and what was going on, that were more likely to have a positive outcome.
Ultimately, Frankl’s conclusion is that even in the most destitute and dehumanizing conditions, that life does indeed still have a meaning; therefore SUFFERING IS ITSELF MEANINGFUL.
Most people think of suffering as an annoyance or tragedy. There is no attempt to understand it. No attempt to find the meaning in it or learn from it. Even worse, many find it easier to PLAY THE VICTIM (“why did this happen to me” or “this isn’t fair”) instead of just learning from the situation and moving on.
I like this book because it really does put our suffering in greater context. If Frankl and many others could find meaning in this awful condition, are the things that you are suffering through REALLY THAT BAD? Absolutely not. It helps you look at life’s little challenges in a new light.
Here are some things that I use to label as suffering that are NO LONGER consuming my mental energy:
- Someone not returning a phone call or e-mail promptly
- Co-Workers or managers not reacting favorably to something I did
- People criticizing a project I am working on
- Fear that I might not be able to successfully complete a project, and get approval from senior management
- Not making steady progress toward my goals (gaining muscle mass, writing a book, etc)
- Worrying about menial tasks around the house (laundry, cleaning, dishes, etc.)
- Worrying about having enough money (…to retire or do whatever I want)
- Worrying about growing my salary and corporate “rank” at a fast enough rate (i.e. faster than those around me)
- Feeling like I need to respond to everyone’s e-mail or phone calls immediately
- Feeling like everyone needs to be happy for me to be happy
- Feeling like I am not strong, fit or energetic enough
- Feeling like I need to do everything that other people are doing (this one is really ridiculous!)
