Frankl †the Meaning of Life Essay

Frankl does non purpose the word implication in the general broad sense much(prenominal) as in What is the meaning of feel? merely kind of in a more specific way of what is the meaning of your life. In Frankls words, asking the meaning of life is akin to asking the rig champion Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world? (pg 131) on that point is no correct answer to this question, as the best move is open on your opp unrivalednt, the moves already made, and the moves to be made. Much the same as saying there is no correct answer to the question What is the meaning of life? as the meaning of life changes from person to person and from second base to moment. Frankl demonstrates how his meaning of life changed as noted that one morning as he marched to work he came to a sudden receivedization that The repurchase of man is by respect and in love. (pg 57) I count on that Frankls realization is meant to illustrate how even in the darkest of times, meaning can be found in suffering and that everything can be pretendn from a man but one thing the last of the tender-hearted freedoms-to aim ones attitude in any given destiny of circumstances, to convey ones witness way. (pg 86) Frankl chose to focus on his love his love for his wife, his love for life which brought meaning to the torture he was enduring. Frankl does not preach what he believes the meaning of life is, but instead tries to booster us to see the truth for ourselves through his illustrations of human suffering and triumph. The doctrine of analogy of the Painter vs. the Ophthalmologist on page 132 recoils Frankls core discipline. A painter tries to convey to us a picture of the world as he sees it and ophthalmologist tries to enable us to see the world as it really is. Frankl tries to help us to see with our own eyes he cannot show us the truth but can only punctuate and help us discover it for ourselves. In Frankls own case, he was able to find his purpose which was to document what he had learned active mankind while suffering in a concentration camp. He did so as to help another(prenominal)s understand their responsibility in define their life and how by beingness responsible, we can define lifes meaning every day. Frankl illustrates man taking responsibility for his own life in his account of fellow inmates.We who lived in concentration camps can concoct the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last flip of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer qualified proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing the last of the human freedoms to choose ones attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose ones own way. (pg 86)These men chose to give meaning to their life by improving the lives of those well-nigh them, even in the face of certain cobblers last if discovered.They chose even while surrounded by unimaginable horror to ready the wellbeing of their fellow inmates abov e their own. Frankl defines this behavior as The self-transcendence of human world. (pg 133) It means that being human is about going beyond you own self needs. He says The more one forgets himself by giving himself to a cause to serve, or another person to love the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. (pg 133) His illustrations of the inmates who gave the last of their bread or try to comfort those around him ar surely examples of self-transcendence.I can doctor to this line of thinking as I reflect on those large number in my life I most respect they are those friends and family whom I consider selfless individuals who give of themselves. This philosophy can even be translated to business. The most successful business men I know are individual who learned at an early stage that giving of themselves, through writing, speaking, or being involved in their community ultimately reaped the sterling(prenominal) rewards, closed the most business, etc While these i ndividual have an agenda (vs.being truly selfless), I still believe they are practicing self-transcendence. They are, as Frankl states, discovering that The align meaning of life is to be discovered in the world sort of than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed carcass. (pg 133) They choose to interact with the people and the world around them rather than retreat into themselves. Frankl compares a closed system to an open system as a way of explaining how human interaction leads to self-transcendence, while self-actualization is a preposterous way of finding meaning.A closed system cannot change or grow it by definition essential maintain equilibrium. An open system on the other hand exists such that we interact with each other and the outside world. Through our interactions with one another, growth is stimulated within ourselves and those around us. In a closed system we would retreat from the world and attach ourselves. While doing this might bring a cer tain amount of intimate peace, it does not stimulate growth. We cannot improve ourselves and the world around us in this way because it is too self-serving.Thats not to say that self admonition is a bad thing, but rather that self-reflection loses its meaning unless you have something to reflect against another philosophy, the meaning of an event in your life, etc Self-reflection for the sake of self-reflection would produce no personal growth in Frankls view. In conclusion, I think that Frankls life experiences helped shape someone who at his core was a realist. You cannot always change the situation, so if you want a different outcome, you must change your reaction.Sometimes horrible things happen to a person that is life. How you choose to respond to the circumstances surrounding you is your most basic privilege as an intelligent human being. I love the fact that Frankl offers no real answers, just a framework for figuring it out for yourself. I wish to learn more about Frank l and try to apply more of his take responsibility attitude to my everyday life. I have already started by going back to school to finish my degree.