In Auschwitz and in Comfort
Man's Search for Meaning
In his renowned work Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl discusses the psychological effects of brutality in a World War II concentration camp. Frankl relates more than a mere factual account of the events, focusing on man’s experience of those events and how any man at all was able to survive. This psychological account of life at a concentration camp follows man and the who and what he becomes under such circumstances. Frankl’s discussion and conclusion of man’s freedom and inner choices are very relevant in our modern world, in which man still constantly begs for a reason to be here.
Frankl talks about how prisoners in the concentration camp changed over their time there. He notes that after only a short time at the camp the prisoner became desensitized to death and the incessant violence around him.
One effect that hit the prisoners right away was the feeling of humor at the wretched circumstances that they were forced into. Frankl discusses the corruption of some of the prisoners who would do anything to survive, even when it meant the harm or death of their fellow prisoners. Frankl also says that some men were able to retain their sense of morality and found meaning and the strength to carry on in the service of others.
As the name suggests, in Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl continually discusses man’s existence in relation to his purpose and in what he finds meaning. Frankl ultimately decides that:
Several times throughout the book, Frankl quotes Nietzsche as saying:
For those who do not see a meaning in their daily life, there is no motivation to do the simplest job or get up in the morning no matter how well they are treated and how financially secure or in excess they are. Many people I have met think that their life’s meaning is somehow linked to what they can get out of life. They pursue earthly treasures and after they have it all, they are still left with a hole in their heart. Frankl addresses this in Man’s Search for Meaning and speaks of two would-be suicides at the concentration camp:
In the concentration camp, this meant that the harsh treatment did not determine man’s meaning, but rather a child or an unfinished work. In today’s society, this means that the daily comforts and riches do not determine man’s meaning. Thinking so only can lead to disillusionment and despair.
We should always try to see what we can give in life, not what we can get or are getting from it-whether good or bad. Both in Auschwitz and in our modern world, circumstances have the potential to destroy our happiness-but only if we let them. For if we remember that our life is an inner choice, a decision to persist no matter what our circumstances say, we too can find meaning in life even without the brutal experience of Auschwitz and despite the comforts to which we are accustomed.
In his renowned work Man's Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl discusses the psychological effects of brutality in a World War II concentration camp. Frankl relates more than a mere factual account of the events, focusing on man’s experience of those events and how any man at all was able to survive. This psychological account of life at a concentration camp follows man and the who and what he becomes under such circumstances. Frankl’s discussion and conclusion of man’s freedom and inner choices are very relevant in our modern world, in which man still constantly begs for a reason to be here.
Frankl talks about how prisoners in the concentration camp changed over their time there. He notes that after only a short time at the camp the prisoner became desensitized to death and the incessant violence around him.
One effect that hit the prisoners right away was the feeling of humor at the wretched circumstances that they were forced into. Frankl discusses the corruption of some of the prisoners who would do anything to survive, even when it meant the harm or death of their fellow prisoners. Frankl also says that some men were able to retain their sense of morality and found meaning and the strength to carry on in the service of others.
“The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which proved that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress”.
As the name suggests, in Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl continually discusses man’s existence in relation to his purpose and in what he finds meaning. Frankl ultimately decides that:
“In the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone”.This inner decision that each man in the concentration camp was forced to make was determined by the meaning in life that he found, or else by the lack thereof.
Several times throughout the book, Frankl quotes Nietzsche as saying:
“He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how”.This statement could equally be reversed and applied to many people today for whom not having a why makes bearing even the best circumstances impossible. The rate of chronic depression, suicide and other such psychological catastrophes can be linked to the misunderstanding of what it is to truly live.
For those who do not see a meaning in their daily life, there is no motivation to do the simplest job or get up in the morning no matter how well they are treated and how financially secure or in excess they are. Many people I have met think that their life’s meaning is somehow linked to what they can get out of life. They pursue earthly treasures and after they have it all, they are still left with a hole in their heart. Frankl addresses this in Man’s Search for Meaning and speaks of two would-be suicides at the concentration camp:
“We had to learn ourselves and, further-more, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us”.
In the concentration camp, this meant that the harsh treatment did not determine man’s meaning, but rather a child or an unfinished work. In today’s society, this means that the daily comforts and riches do not determine man’s meaning. Thinking so only can lead to disillusionment and despair.
We should always try to see what we can give in life, not what we can get or are getting from it-whether good or bad. Both in Auschwitz and in our modern world, circumstances have the potential to destroy our happiness-but only if we let them. For if we remember that our life is an inner choice, a decision to persist no matter what our circumstances say, we too can find meaning in life even without the brutal experience of Auschwitz and despite the comforts to which we are accustomed.
Comments
Post a Comment