From a philosophical perspective, existential emptiness represents death for a human being because there is no person who doesn’t ask themselves fundamental existential questions (Who am I? Where do I come from? What is the meaning of life?). Frankl realizes this as well, commenting on how the question of meaning is not taken seriously today, even though humans are beings characterized by a continuous search for meaning.
In his work Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl wonders “for whom” and “for what” individuals survived captivity and torture in camps, and he states a fundamental anthropological fact: being human means always being somehow directed towards something outside oneself, towards an encounter with another human being, towards a reason that needs to be fulfilled or towards a loved one.
Frankl supports this with findings. There are other authors who have researched prisoner camps in Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, and they have come to the conclusion that the prisoners who felt that someone or something was waiting for them had the highest chances of survival.
The message (and our legacy) is that survival depended on two things – “what for” and “who for”.
Working as a psychiatrist, Frankl believed that the search for meaning was more a proof of humanity than a reflection of mental illness. A person does not have to be neurotic to be interested in the question of the meaning of life, but they must be a true human being.
Frankl exposes the “myth of well-being” by stating: We have dreamed a dream for too long, from which we are now waking up: we believed that everything would be fine and that people would be happy if we only improved their socio-economic position. Today, there are more and more people who have all their life conditions satisfied, but they do not see a purpose to live for. This is evidenced by the staggering suicide rates in welfare states. Obviously, happiness cannot be achieved just through material well-being. and the dignity of a human being does not arise from economic security.
In one place, Frankl states that the quest for meaning is a distinct characteristic of humanity and explains: It could be said that instincts are passed down through genes, and values through traditions, while meaning, being unique, is a matter of personal discovery. Everyone must find it themselves, discover it themselves, and such discovery is unique.
In the process of finding meaning, one’s own experience plays a huge role. Nothing is irretrievably lost, everything is permanently stored. Strangely, people usually only see the straw of transience and fail to see the full grain stores in which they have placed the harvest of their lives; their brave deeds, accomplished tasks, beloved loves, bravely overcome sufferings.
There is a lot that we have done well. It is necessary to add a “human” consciousness to make that experience the embryo of something more lasting, on which we can rely later, when life demands it from us.
Meaning is not something static, but Life is constantly shaping. Meaning cannot be prescribed, but it is something important to us, with which we have a deep, difficult-to-express relationship. It is more about a sublime feeling (like the “memory of the soul,” as Plato speaks of), rather than something rational and logical. This becomes understandable only if we realize that there is a potential meaning that is yet to be discovered (for example, in work or relationships in general). By deepening these relationships, we come to new meanings.
Well, we can find meaning in life even when we find ourselves in a hopeless situation, when we encounter an “unchangeable fate.” Sometimes, the great challenges and trials of life prompt us to give our best, to “pull something out of our sleeves” that we ourselves do not believe we possess. Frankl testifies through his own life about the unique human possibilities in their best light, which means turning tragedy into one’s own triumph, turning misfortune into a great human victory.
In his works, Frankl provides a brief overview of logotherapy as a technique alongside a range of practical techniques. these tips that will be helpful to the reader in everyday life by describing the problems that arise when we anticipate a certain outcome, pay excessive attention to something, or forcefully desire a particular goal.
Drawing a parallel between finding meaning and finding happiness, he says: A similar rule applies, the more we strive for something (meaning, happiness, identity…), the more we will miss it.
It seems that the desire alone is not enough, it is necessary to take many steps in the right direction.
Finding meaning is achieved through self-forgetfulness, dedication, transcending oneself, and focusing on the world outside oneself.
This means that when we are not in the foreground ourselves, like a mother rushing when she hears her child’s call and doesn’t question or calculate, but responds to the child’s needs.
In relation to the current state of affairs, Frankl calls: We must not let our belief in the potential humanity of man blind us to the fact that humane human beings are in the minority. It is precisely this fact that affects each and every one of us. We are being called to join the minority: things are going bad; if we don’t do everything we can to make them better, everything will become even worse.
In order for the world to be a little better, we must first become better ourselves. The realization of our own purpose needs to be constantly connected to the realization of the world’s purpose to which we belong, and accepting the possibility that a fragment of destiny is in the hands of each of us…