Logotherapy Lessons

Have any of you ever read "Man's Search For Meaning" by Viktor Frankl? I read it years ago, and frankly it changed my outlook on life. I discovered these videos of interviews with him when he was still alive explaining his theories about Logotherapy and Existentialism. Dr. Frankl is the father of Logotherapy. He had been working on his theories about Logotherapy (or meaning therapy) even before he was sent to the concentration camps at Auschwitz and Dachau. What better opportunity for him to test his theories on meaning - even through, and in-fact because of suffering, than to endure the suffering that came to him through the Holocaust? It's really an amazing book, and he has written other works explaining his theories further. I think everyone in the world should read his book, because what he had to say is so important for all of us. In the world today, people draw their meaning from things that are so meaningless. If it helps them to find a purpose to live, then good for them; but many in the world today are focused so much on accumulating more stuff, others are focused on more varieties of forms of technology. I'm all for technology that enhances relationships, and encourages education, and enables people to communicate their thoughts and ideas, but some are focused on the popularity factor, or the newest video game and the gratification it will provide them. There are other forms of self gratification that have infiltrated our lives in a real and problematic way. People start to feel that these things are their purpose. What happens when those things disappear? I feel it's important for each of us (I'm talking to myself as much as anyone else) to evaluate what motivates us, and what we get our meaning from. It may be our family, or our loved ones (as it should be). It may be our work, it may be a sense accomplishing something very important that will help many people. Dr. Frankl's motivation to live through the death camps was the thought that he would see his wife and family if he made it through. That helped him to survive. (that and his medical experience - the Nazi's used him to treat other inmates) But, the only thing that kept him from throwing himself against the barbed wire fence was hoping that he would see his wife at the end of it all. He didn't. She was killed. But, Dr. Frankl found other meaning to motivate him - that of his work and his theories. Those theories are now available for all of us to use and help ourselves to find meaning and purpose in our lives. I hope I'm making sense. I'm not as eloquent as Dr. Frankl - he can explain it all so much better. Here's the videos. Read the book - it's a great read.

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