Man’s Search for Meaning

Leni Riefenstahl showed us the Triumph of the Will...but Viktor E. Frankl shows us the Triumph of the Soul. This book really changed my perspective on Nazism: until I read this book I did not understand how systematic and premeditated genocide could be - how every aspect the Final Solution was taken into account by the state. Reading this book was one of the transformative moments of my life - highest recommendation.

لا أجد أفضل من الإسلام أعطى للإنسان معنى ليعيش من أجله ولا أجد أفضل من تعاليمه تكلمت وفسرت هذا الأصل بشتى الطرق .
ولهذا لم يفيدني الكتاب بشكل كبير لغزارة الأهداف والمعانِ الموجودة في الإسلام والتي تحيي العقول والقلوب معًا إذا بحثت عنها وعشت بها ومن أجلها
✨ يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِلَّهِ وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذَا دَعَاكُمْ لِمَا يُحْيِيكُمْ ۖ وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ يَحُولُ بَيْنَ الْمَرْءِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَأَنَّهُ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ ✨
خلاصة أن الإسلام هو أن تحيا بمعنى بل ألف ألف معنى
حتى إن الكتاب أقترب من هذا الأصل في بعض فصوله وهو الإيمان بالله - طبقًا لعقيدته - كمعنى للحياة وتحمل ما فيها من معاناة

ولكن هذا لا يعني أن الكتاب سيء أو عديم النفع وأكثر ما أفادني هو البُعد العلمي والتفسير النفسي لبعض ما نمر به وإن لم يكن بالتفسير الجديد ولكنه قطعًا مفيد
أستطيع فقط أن أقول أنه لم يضيف لي جديد على مستوى الإنتفاع الذاتي بأفكاره ..
ولكنه أحدث عملية إنعاش وتقليب لهذا الأصل والمبدأ الذي هو أساس الحياة وركيزة الصحة النفسية

Reading about the holocaust awakens me to the varying sides and degrees of human nature.

"Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. Is it surprising that in those depths we again found only human qualities which in there very nature were a mixture of good and evil? The rift dividing good from evil, which goes through all human beings, reaches into the lowest depths and becomes apparent even on the bottom of the abyss which is laid open by the concentration camp."

It is easier than we may think to get controlled by the barbaric aspects that exist within us. It’s almost incomprehensible that the holocaust took place in such recent history, at a time -- by relative, historic standards -- that contained comfortable living situations, educational access, and plenty of opportunity. Reading about the holocaust reminds me that we are simple and easily manipulated; that we can easily shut off our conscience and our ability to empathize, and do unimaginably horrible things to fellow, innocent, human beings. This is not a positive testament to human nature.

"From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in this world, but only these two - the "race" of the decent man and the "race" of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people. In this sense, no group is of "pure race" - therefore one occasionally found a decent fellow among the camp guards.

But then I see that goodness can still exist, even when one has every reason not to act on empathy; even when a simple, helpful act for another can threaten one's own life. Nazi's that showed compassion for prisoners were often killed, yet some men were brave and caring enough to help his fellow man. This gives me hope.

Here's a specific story from the book that highlights this:

"I remember how one day a foreman secretly gave me a piece of bread which I knew he must have saved from his breakfast ration. It was far more than the small piece of bread which moved me to tears at that time. It was the human "something" which this man also gave to me - the word and look which accompanied the gift.” This kind of act was not unusual for this specific SS commander, and was not forgotten by the prisoners, either. In fact, the kindness was returned: When Frankl’s camp was being liberated, 3 young Hungarian Jews hid this commander in the Bavarian woods as the other SS commanders were being gathered by U.S. troops. The 3 men would only give up the SS commander under the condition that no harm come to him. And, not only was he taken in unharmed, but he was later given the role of supervising the collection and distribution of clothing among the villages. Had this man not acted on compassion, he would have been caught and suffered a difficult fate. But sometimes -- no, not enough -- but sometimes, the good do win out. This is a positive testament to human nature.

Frankl gives an honest, modest account of his holocaust experience. But he helped a lot of people make it through -- he gave people hope through his psychiatric knowledge, insights, and wisdom. Through the process he became a firm believer in logotherapy, which he explains in detail in the second half of the book.

According to logotherapy, one must find meaning in life, and if one finds meaning, he or she can make it through anything. Or, as the Nietzsche quote (which Frankl was fond of), says, "He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how." In regards to logotherapy, Frankl states, "It is one of the basic tenets of logotherapy that man's main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life. That is why man is even ready to suffer, on the condition, to be sure, that his suffering has a meaning."

Again and again those that had meaning were more likely to survive. Frankl was reminded of this at the start of every New Year, when the deaths in the camp drastically increased. According to Frankl, there was one main variable involved with this: loss of meaning. A number of prisoners kept themselves going by imagining themselves out of the camp in time for the holidays, which they hoped to spend with their loved ones. They pictured it in their minds and it kept them going through many grueling days. When the holidays came and went, they no longer had that image to strive for and were crushed. They gave up hope. They gave up meaning. They gave up life.

Reading this book helped give me perspective into my own life, and insight into the power that exists within us all. While reading, I tried my best to fathom the great pain and suffering that those in camps went through, and I tried to understand how they endured it. Starvation, unrelenting work, freezing conditions in the winter, dehydration in the summer; and not just physical pain, but imagine watching neighbors, friends, and family members die. What happens to someone's mind, body, and heart as he or she goes through such drastic, painful, hopeless, and desperate situations? How does one continue to go on? What kind of strength does one tap into and where does it come from? It seems impossible, yet many people survived and went on to live enriching lives.

Reading about, and gaining a grasp of this awesome power within us is inspiring: the capabilities of the human; the depths of our courage and perseverance. “We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement. When we are no longer able to change a situation - just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer - we are challenged to change ourselves." Human potential at its best, indeed.

كتاب جميل، الكاتب طبيب أعصاب وطبيب نفسي نمساوي، سبق له أن اعتقل وأدخل معسكرات الاعتقال. وكان أحد الناجين من المحرقة (الهولوكوست). الكتاب مقسم إلى أجزاء، من خلال سجنه اكتشف طرق استمد منها الدعم والقوّة للبقاء على قيد الحياة روحيًا وأخلاقيًا ومعنويًا، منها إيجاد معنى في العمل الإبداعي، وإيجاد معنى في الحب وإيجاد معنى في المعاناة.



اقتباسات



“الحب هو الهدف الغائي والأسمى الذي يمكن أن يطمح إليه الإنسان. إن خلاص الإنسان هو من خلال الحب وفي الحب.ان الإنسان الذي لم يتبق له شيء في هذه الدنيا، لا يزال يعرف السعادة، ولكن للحظة قصيرة فقط، من خلال التأمل والتفكير في المحبوب”.

“الحب هو الخاتم الذي يبصم نفسه على القلب وهو في قوته كالموت”.

“المعاناة حالة نسبية، إن محاولة تنمية روح المرح ورؤية الأشياء من منظور مرح يعتبر نوعًا من الحيل المتعلمة من خلال التمكن من فن الحياة”.

“ليس من حق أي شخص أن يصدر حكمه على فعل ما إلا إذا سأل نفسه بأمانة مطلقة عما إذا كان سيسلك نفس السبيل في موقف مماثل”.

"إن المعاناة تغمر الروح الانسانية كلها والعقل الواعي بأكمله، بصرف النظر عما إذا كانت المعاناة كبيرة أم صغيرة _ مسألة نسبية”.

“كل شيء يمكن أن يؤخذ من الانسان عدا شيئًا واحدًا: وهذا الشيء الواحد هو آخر شيء من الحريات الانسانية ـ وهو أن يختار المرء اتجاهه في ظروف معينة، أي يختار المرء طريقه”.

“إذا كان هناك معنى في الحياة بصفة عامة، فإنه بالتالي ينبغي أن يكون هناك معنى للآلام والمعاناة، فالآلام والمعاناة جزء من الحياة ويتعذر الخلاص منهما، شأنهما في ذلك بل في مقدمتهما القدر والموت. وبدون المعاناة وبدون الموت لا تكتمل حياة الإنسان".

“الويل لمن لا يرى في حياته معنى، ولا يستشعر هدفًا أو غرضًا لها؛ ومن ثم لا يجد قيمة في مواصلة هذه الحياة."

“حينما يجد الإنسان أن مصيره هو المعاناة، فإن عليه أن يتقبل آلامه ومعاناته كما لو أنها مهمة مفروضة عليه ـ وهي مهمة فريدة ومتميزة. وعليه أن يعترف بالحقيقة بأنه حتى في المعاناة فهو فريد ووحيد في الكون. ولا يستطيع أحد أن يخلصه من معاناته أو يعاني بدلًا منه. ففرصته الوحيدة تكمن في الطريقة التي يتحمل بها اعباءه ومتاعبه”.

“لا داعي إلى الشعور بالخجل من الدموع، لأن الدموع تحمل دليلًا على أن الإنسان يحظى بأعظم شجاعة، وهي شجاعة المعاناة”.

"لقد دعوت الله من سجني الضيق، فأجابني في رحابة الكون”.

“إن معنى وجودنا ليس أمرًا نبتدعه نحن أنفسنا، وإنما هو بالأحرى أمر نكتشفه ونستعينه”.

“الحب هو الطريقة الوحيدة التي يدرك بها الإنسان كائنًا إنسانيًا آخر في أعمق أغوار شخصيته. فلا يستطيع إنسان أن يصبح واعيًا كل الوعي بالجوهر العميق لشخص آخر إلا إذا أحبّه. فبواسطة الفعل الروحي للحب، يتمكن الإنسان من رؤية السمات والمعالم الأساسية في الشخص المحبوب؛ بل إن الإنسان يرى أكثر من ذلك، ما هو كامن في الآخر؛ يرى ما ينبغي أن يتحقق مما لم يتحقق فيه بعد. وعلاوة على ذلك، فإن الشخص المحب بحبه إنما يمكن الشخص المحبوب من تحقيق إمكاناته”.

"إن المعاناة تتوقف من أن تكون معاناة بشكل ما في اللحظة التي تكتسب فيها معنى، مثل معنى التضحية”.

“من المبادئ الرئيسية للعلاج بالمعنى أن الاهتمام الرئيسي عند الإنسان لا يكون هو الحصول على اللذة أو تجنب الألم، وإنما يكون بأن يرى معنى في حياته. وهذا هو السبب في أن الانسان مستعد للمعاناة، شريطة أن يكون لمعاناته معنى”.

“الإنسان هو الذي يحدد ذاته في النهاية. فما يصير عليه ـ داخل حدود الوراثة والبيئة ـ إنما يكون قد حققه انطلاقًا من ذاته”.

“الإنسان لا يأبه باللذة أو بالسعادة في حد ذاتها ولكنه يهتم أكثر من هذا بما يسبب هذه النتائج والآثار ـ كأن يهتم بتحقيق معنى ذاتي شخصي، أو بالالتقاء مع كائن بشري”.

“يقول أينشتاين: “أن الإنسان الذي يعتبر حياته جوفاء من المعنى فهو ليس غير سعيد فحسب ولكنه يكاد يكون غير صالح لأن يعيش”.

when i was in high school, my english elective teacher followed me on goodreads (if you're still here, Ms. Drew - shouts out and i'm sorry!)

one day i came into the classroom and as soon as she saw me she laughed and started shaking her head, to which i (a debilitatingly anxious person) responded with calm and relaxed energy and definitely not by freaking out a little bit.

to my very chill and not at all intense inquiries, she replied, "i saw you give Man's Search for Meaning three stars on goodreads. only you."

i have always been the monster before you.

part of a series i'm doing where i review books i read a long time ago and reveal the sheer depth of my intolerable personality

"This book does not claim to be an account of facts and events but of personal experiences, experiences which millions of prisoners have suffered time and again. It is the inside story of a concentration camp, told by one of its survivors."

This book deals with history, psychology, and philosophy. It is about human suffering and the light of hope that shines even in the darkest times. Victor Frankl survived Nazi concentration camps. His experiences would enable him to develop his psychological theories aimed at helping people.

As a survivor, Frankl recounts what helped him keep going while facing many harrowing situations in the camps. According to the author, feeling that life has meaning and having a sense of purpose, no matter what it is, is essential. One has to expect something from the future in order to endure cruelty and injustice.
Those prisoners who knew why they should stay alive were more likely to survive. Losing the meaning of life was dangerous. Victor tells about one man who died almost immediately after his reason for surviving was invalidated. Shattered hopes can be very dangerous as well.

The author wanted to live for he dreamt of finishing the text he had been working on. His manuscript had been confiscated upon his arrival in the concentration camp. Frankl was trying to find ways to somehow restore it.
Helping his fellow prisoners was one of the things that added a certain meaning to seemingly meaningless suffering. By comforting others you can improve your own mental state.
The author tries to empathize with different situations in which prisoners may find themselves and not pass judgment on them. Sacrifice has a meaning, according to Frankl, and human kindness can be found everywhere.

This work also touches on the psychology of the prisoner who has been released. At first, the new freedom seems unreal to them, "as in a dream."

The book made me look at the notion of life's purpose from a different angle. I have always been thinking that the meaning of life is life itself.
However, sometimes something more substantial is needed. As Frankl points out, having some visible goal could mean the world to him and his fellow prisoners. It allowed them to remain humans in dehumanizing circumstances when people turned on people without mercy.

I can only admire a man who went through hell and was nevertheless able to preserve his inner strength and integrity. Victor's resilience, stoic attitude to pain, and faith in humankind fascinate me. Much wisdom can be found in some of his observations. That being said, Frankl's philosophy, in which his religious beliefs played a big part, did not always resonate with me. I did not always agree with what he was saying.

Here are a few quotes to end this review.

"From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in this world, but only these two—the 'race' of the decent man and the 'race' of the indecent man. Both are found everywhere; they penetrate into all groups of society. No group consists entirely of decent or indecent people. In this sense, no group is of 'pure race'—and therefore one occasionally found a decent fellow among the camp guards."

"The rift dividing good from evil, which goes through all human beings, reaches into the lowest depths and becomes apparent even on the bottom of the abyss which is laid open by the concentration camp."

"When we are no longer able to change a situation—just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer—we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Therefore, it was necessary to face up to the full amount of suffering, trying to keep moments of weakness and furtive tears to a minimum. But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer."

در زندگی تنها از یک چیز می ترسم و آن اینکه شایستگی ِ رنج هایم را نداشته باشم.
داستایفسکی

دکتر فرانکل می گوید رنج بردن جزء قطعی و لاینفک زندگی ِ آدمی ست پس چنان که زندگی را معنایی باشد ، به قطع در رنج بردن هم باید معنایی یافت. مساله دیگری که شایان توجّه است آن که ، آگاهی از رنج نه تنها می تواند زمینه ساز ارتقاء روحی و معنوی آدمی در زندگی اش گردد، بلکه این امر خود التیامی بر رنج(هایش) خواهد بود. او معتقد است پذیرش شجاعانه ،آگاهانه ،آزادانه و مسوولانه ی رنج ها در زندگی ، زیست آدمی را تا واپسین دم حیات معنادار می سازد.
او ریشه ی مشکلات آدم عصر جدید را در ناتوانی ِ او در یافتن معنا می داند. چیزی که باعث می شود آدمی سرگردان و حیران و مضطرب ، آواره کوی و برزن شده و به درستی نداند که چه میخواهد، پس یا در پی همرنگی با جماعت و در آرزوی زیستن چون دیگران باشد و یا تسلیم مطلق و بی اراده ی خواست و امر دیگران.
این همان چیزی ست که فرانکل از آن به خلا وجودی یا
Exitential vacuum
یاد میکند و معتقد است تا زمانی که این خلاها پر نشوند رفع بیماری های روانی و جسمی -که چونان زباله ای گیرکرده در این گودال ها و خلاها هستند- چندان مفید فایده نیست.
فرانکل به شدّت تاکید میکند که تصور اینکه آدمی تنها متاثر شرایط روانی،زیستی و اجتماعی محیط خود است گمراه کننده است و در نهایت این آدمی ست که آزادانه تصمیم می گیرد که در هر شرایط و محیطی چگونه بزید.

در بخش اول کتاب ، دکتر فرانکل به شرح و توصیف سرگذشت خود در دو تا از خوفناک ترین و مرگبارترین اردوگاه های کار اجباری تحت سیطره ی نازیها -آئوشویتز و داخاوا -می پردازد و به راستی در این بخش کتاب می توان روح خشونت بار جنگ و جنایاتی را که آدمی می تواند علیه همنوع خود مرتکب شود ، به وضوح نظاره کرد.

همزمان هر دو ترجمه دکتر نهضت صالحیان(نشر درسا) و دکتر اکبر معارفی (نشر دانشگاه تهران)را خواندم که اولی در اوایل کتاب خوبتر بود و دومی در ادامه!!

I first read this incredible, moving text almost 10 years ago, when I was in my late 20s. I was fairly early on in my career as a therapist and was very lucky to come across this book by accident. It was one of the most essential works that formed the foundation of my practice and thinking as a psychologist. I have a vivid memory of reading in awe, reading as quickly as possible and pacing around the room with the book in my hand, feeling both excited and agitated to be reading something that felt so powerful and profound.

In re-reading it, many of the concepts are now very familiar, like well-worn paths. I’ve spent the last few months slowly and carefully reading small sections at a time, highlighting and underlining as I read, taking notes and reflecting. This text still holds the same power and wisdom. It is one to live by and learn from over many years of re-reading.

The quotes that I especially wish to remember:
- “I have realities in my past, not only the reality of work done and of love loved, but of sufferings bravely suffered. These sufferings are even the things of which I am most proud, though these are things which cannot inspire envy”. Pp 125.
- “A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth - that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire”. Pp. 49
- “No man and no destiny can be compared with any other man or any other destiny. No situation repeats itself, and each situation calls for a different response”. Pp. 85
- “For the world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of us does his best. So, let us be alert - alert in a twofold sense: Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake”. Pp 154.