Man’s Search For Meaning

Recently I read a book whose name was Man’s Search For Meaning. Actually, I first heard about this book from an Instagram psychologist. This book consists of two chapters. In the first chapter, the author Victor E. Frankl narrates his own experiences in a Concentration Camp and in the second part, he explains the term Logotherapy in a Nutshell.

I really have difficulty to understand the human being’s cruelty. When I was reading this amazing book, I was really shocked, got angry, felt depressed and could not believe how these events occured in this world. it was really very hard to comprehend for me.

I was impressed a few fabuluous sentences. So, I will share some of them below.

The sentences that I underlined when I was reading.

The most impressive sentence which was emphasized along the book may be belongs to Nietzsche.

“He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How.”

May be only this sentence could clarify the essence of this book.

Throughout the book, the reader could understand that there are lots of reasons for living. This could be a work, family, love or suffering from something. And every person has their own aim.The writer says that the people who died in concentration camps lack of hope or lack of something to live rather than lack of food or medicine.

Another sentence:

“Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips. ”

In the construction of these concentration camps, lots of engineers worked, designed. Also very competent doctors worked. In this point I can not imagine how this profession groups malconduct their own jobs. Before doctors begin to their works, aren’t they take the hippocratic oath which is interrogable whether it is necessary or not. The people we trust was disappointed us. I understand that people should do the best and do it for goodness of man. Vice versa is catastrophe as we witnessed.

Is happiness something to searched for? For me it is not. I am not a seeking for happiness. I am aware that it can not be found by searching. Instead, it comes when you are not pursuing it. and I also realized that most of the people thought that instant pleasure is not happiness.

Like the writer’s book. “Don’t aim at success-the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it.For success, like happiness, can not be pursued. “

“Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success. you have to let iit happen by not caring about it. “

In brief, Don’t be success and happiness freak!

Of course during the human history all poets, writers, artists have told us lots of things relating to happiness. But happiness for me is all about love and affection. I learned and experienced to be happy with little things.(In fact, I had to do it because of some necessities. Thanks for these challenges from my childhood.) Sometimes this could be beautiful rainy day, snowing outside or a family dinner table, my childrens playing sounds- even when they quarrelling for a toy, their smiles, my husbands hug or look into my eyes sincerely. Lots of things… little things. Not expensive. Not unreachable. Materials do not give you permanent happiness. it is all temporary but the spirit gives it to you. As long as you realize it. and thank God for giving you all of these.

A dialog which deeply impressed me:

“Was he sent to the left side?” (Left side means death most of the time.)

Yes.

Then you can see him there.

Where? A hand pointed to the chimney a few hundred yards off, which was sending a column of flame up into the grey sky of Poland.

That is where your friend is, floating up the Heaven.”

Dostoevski’statement that flatly defines man as a being who can get used to anything.

Perhaps, human being get used to even this disastrous event. It is hard to perceive. But do people have to get used to?