Man’s Search for Meaning - Part Two
Frankl stresses that the meaning and purpose of your life must be discovered in the world rather than only within your own psyche. Yes, your unique purpose and meaning in life is something that you know internally, in your mind, your heart and your soul, however it manifests itself out in the external world in some form. You must know yourself deeply, and allow yourself to find how to express your purpose and meaning in the world. Your soul is but a compass that points to where you should put your life. Giving yourself to a cause or to another and forgetting yourself within your purpose makes you human, it actualizes who you are, and self-actualization is only possible through self-transcendence; through giving yourself to something greater than yourself will you truly see who you are and your purpose fulfilled.
In part two of this series on Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, we dive into the second section of the book which focuses on his work in creating Logotherapy, on the main existential struggles we face as humans as well as a perspective on the meaning of life and of suffering.
Logotherapy
Logotherapy focuses on the premise that finding meaning is the primary motivational force in life such that a person’s fundamental concern in life is to fulfill a meaning, rather than satisfying drives and instincts. Logotherapy considers humans to be spiritually fueled as opposed to being instinctually motivated. The individual’s meaning is “unique and specific in that it must be fulfilled by them alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy their own will meaning.”
Deviating from traditional psychotherapy, Logotherapy aims to break up the individual’s self-centeredness rather than being fostered and reinforced through the analysis of vicious circle formations and feedback mechanisms which play a key role in the development of mental health issues. In other words, Logotherapy helps you step outside of yourself and heal your mental heath struggles through discovering and pursuing your unique purpose and meaning in life.
This form of therapy remains uncommon unfortunately, however it is available for exploration by anyone who is seeking a new approach to navigating mental health struggles through independent reading and research. Focusing attention on discovering life’s purpose and meaning may in fact answer the questions you have about your own psyche and struggles in life. Perhaps your mental health struggles are symptomatic to being disconnected from your meaning and purpose. Or perhaps they are symptomatic to the existential struggles we face as humans, namely boredom.
Existential Frustration
The concept of existential frustration occurs fully in the mind from existence itself, the meaning of existence and striving to find a concrete meaning in personal existence. It can manifest itself as depression and anxiety about work, life, relationships, etc. But by no means is this an illness to be managed and tranquilized by drugs. It is a state of mind that requires attention through growth and development.
Search for meaning will inevitably “arouse an inner tension rather than an inner equilibrium” at first, however this tension is precisely what is necessary for growth, development and improvement of mental health. This tension arises from the gap between what you have already achieved and what you want to achieve, the gap between who you are and who you want to be. Frankl asserts that we cannot hesitate to challenge ourselves with a potential meaning to fulfill, and it is dangerous to assume that what we first need is to find a state of balance (a tensionless state). In other words, we cannot run away from the tension, instead we have to use the tension as a force to move us into discovering and pursuing meaning.
He shares that what we need in life is in fact the “striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.” That providing agency and avoiding comfort can feel obstructive and counterintuitive at first, but only through this process can you rise above the vicious circles of your mental health struggles.
The beginning of this journey is the most difficult part because nothing in this world can tell you your authentic and unique purpose and meaning in life, as such you find yourself wanting to do what other people are doing, or you do what others want you to do. This may look like pursuing a career that has a promisingly high salary, or following in your parents footsteps because this is what they want from you. Either way, you are not in alignment with your own freely chosen meaning in life. Following paths that are not your own creates this existential tension.
Existential Vacuum: Boredom
The best way to describe the existential vacuum is through the common trope of a person who seemingly has everything in life but yet is apathetic and nearly dead inside. Also known as boredom, the existential vacuum shows up as one of our society’s greatest threats. We live in an increasingly automated world where most of our tasks and responsibilities can be taken on by technology and we are left with a lot of time to fill, and nothing to fill it with. Our increased leisure hours, although once considered a luxury, has become a source of existential dread. For example, filling free time with social media and doom scrolling, online shopping, heavy cannabis and alcohol use, etc.
The widespread phenomena of boredom in western society often manifests itself as depression, aggression and addiction. Those who lack meaningful tasks and purposes in life are likened to simply fill their time with meaningless activities. This often appears in young people and retirees. Frankl states that an unfulfilled will to meaning shows up as a rampant will to power, which includes the will to money, and the will to pleasure, which obviously includes the will to sexual gratification. In other words, without a meaning and purpose in life we tend to fill our time with activities and pursuits that provide us only with short term gratification. These bursts of enjoyment tend to dull the pain of boredom temporarily, but sooner or later the sense of boredom shows up and we respond with the need for more will to power, money, pleasure and sex. A vicious circle that can only be eviscerated by discovering, pursuing and fulfilling on a meaningful purpose in life.
The Essence of Life: Responsibleness
Responsibleness is the very essence of human existence. Being responsible for who you are and your life is a direct path towards escaping the existential vacuum and living into a purposeful life. It is important to understand that being responsible does not mean to “be at fault,” it means to recognize that no one is coming to save you, it is up to you to start taking action and to get yourself into the life you want and were meant to live. Another way to say this is to have Agency in your life.
The meaning and purpose of your life is completely unique to you. You cannot be replicated or replaced; you have your own specific vocation and mission in life to fulfill upon. Meaning and purpose is also situational and changes as you age and progress through life, and therefore may evolve at any given moment. Using Frankl as an example, his meaning and purpose in life drastically changed when he was arrested and taken to a concentration camp. He did not choose this, it was forced upon him (and millions of others), and he had to choose how he would respond. With agency or with despair. Developing situational awareness, adaptability and responsibility in moments of chaos are thus transcendental skills. Not being attached to a specific meaning or purpose, and being able to recognize that it is you who is asked by life to fulfill on a purpose allows you to engage with whatever is happening in your world with agency.
Frankl shares that we constantly make choices from a massive array of options, most of these options will never be pursued, and very few can become real which eventually turn into “immortal footprints in the sands of time,” these choices ultimately define the path of our lives. However, you never know which choices will turn into these immortal footprints. This is rather intimidating and fear inducing. Frank provides a brilliant maxim to help you navigate your choices and actions in life, he says to:
Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time
as wrongly as you are about to act now.
From this perspective, you are fully responsible and wise enough to know how to act in any given situation. This maxim invites you to imagine first that you have already chosen, and that you made a grave mistake, so you are able to choose newly with the wisdom of your errors. This requires more thought in choosing and it also provides you with faith in yourself that you will make the correct choice.
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Frankl’s insights reveal that purpose is not something we invent but something we discover and fulfill in the world. When we take responsibility for our existence and respond to life’s questions with intention, we step into our agency. Rather than avoiding discomfort or striving for constant equilibrium, we grow by leaning into tension and seeking a higher meaning. Whether we face boredom, uncertainty, or suffering, Frankl invites us to see each moment as an opportunity to transcend ourselves. By living as though we’ve already made past mistakes and now have the chance to choose differently, we access our deepest wisdom—and with it, the power to live a life of significance.