Good morning,
I wonder what you're reading these days.
Reading and deeply reflecting can stir up learning opportunities and positive outcomes.
I'm currently part way through Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning" memoir.
Victor Frankl was born in Vienna in 1905.
He studied psychology and philosophy. After earning a doctorate in medicine in 1930, Frankl headed a suicide prevention program at a psychiatric hospital in Vienna and then became chief of neurology at one of Vienna’s hospitals.
In 1942, he was imprisoned in the Nazi concentration camps of Auschwitz and Dachau during the Second World War. His father, mother and wife perished in concentration camps. As Frankl observed the brutality and degradation around him, he theorized that those inmates who had some meaning in their lives were more likely to survive.
Following liberation, Frankl returned to Vienna, where he became head of the neurological department at the General Polyclinic hospital. Frankl also taught at the University of Vienna until 1990 and at a number of American universities. He passed away in 1997, in Vienna.
In "Man's Search for Meaning," Frankl unfolded the essence of his philosophy that came to be called Logotherapy, that the most fundamental human motive is to find meaning in life. He observed in the horrors of the concentration camps that man can endure almost any “how” of life, if he has a “why.”
A quote from Victor Frankl that builds on this train of thought comes from his "The Doctor and the Soul: From Psychotherapy to Logotherapy, Revised and Expanded" book:
“If we present a man with a concept of man which is not true, we may well corrupt him. When we present man as an automaton of reflexes, as a mind-machine, as a bundle of instincts, as a pawn of drives and reactions, as a mere product of instinct, heredity and environment, we feed the nihilism to which modern man is, in any case, prone. I became acquainted with the last stage of that corruption in my second concentration camp, Auschwitz. The gas chambers of Auschwitz were the ultimate consequence of the theory that man is nothing but the product of heredity and environment; or as the Nazi liked to say, ‘of Blood and Soil.’ I am absolutely convinced that the gas chambers of Auschwitz, Treblinka, and Maidanek were ultimately prepared not in some Ministry or other in Berlin, but rather at the desks and lecture halls of nihilistic scientists and philosophers.”
This means that ideas have consequences that bless or destroy. People’s behavior, good and bad, doesn't come from nowhere. It comes from prevailing views of reality that take root in the mind and drive good or evil. This is why understanding the purpose of life and putting emphasis on what is true and beautiful matters.
Here are 3 ways in which you could put some of Victor Frankl thoughts into action:
- Take responsibility
Victor Frankl believed that meaning is found not in pleasure (as Sigmund Freud proposed) or power (as Alfred Adler suggested), but in responsibility to something greater than oneself.
Find meaning in your work, relationships, and even suffering, by choosing to respond with dignity and service. Reframe difficult situations by identifying a higher goal or value that gives them meaning (e.g., growing in character, helping others, remaining faithful to a cause that matters).
- Exercise freedom in response
Frankl taught that between stimulus and response there is a space, and in that space lies our freedom to choose how to respond. You may choose to practice self-awareness and pause before reacting, especially when facing frustration, disappointment, or injustice. Choose a response aligned with your values, even if the situation is painful or unfair. Use prayer and journaling or to develop that inner space and cultivate intentional responses.
- Serve a cause beyond yourself
Frankl emphasized that meaning is often found through self-transcendence, by dedicating ourselves to something or someone beyond us. Identify a cause, mission, or responsibility you can invest in, whether it’s your faith, family, community, creative work, or a humanitarian effort. Commit to acts of service, even small ones, that contribute to others' well-being. Shift your mindset from “What can I get?” to “What can I give?” especially in moments of doubt or discouragement.
Thank you for taking the time to read this week's e-newsletter.
It would be great to see you at one of the upcoming #ExperienceTO free historical tours, such as the Jane & Finch Historical Tour on Saturday, August 2nd.
All the best,
Alex Rășcanu
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