A Reflection on the Meaning of Life
suicide among helping professions, as physicians, medical students
Remembering Viktor Frankl in the aftermath of Anthony
Bourdain’s death
I was only an 11-year-old child when I first stumbled upon Viktor E.
Frankl’s book: “Man’s search for meaning”, although the first edition
of the same book in my native language was titled “And why didn’t
you commit suicide that time?” Beyond it’s approachable thin frame,
which was attractive to my 11-year-old intellect and reflective of my
reading capacity, I was completely caught off guard by such a direct
and profound question on a cover of the book. Of course, what I got
out of Dr. Frankl’s work as a child was a great sense of admiration
for this incredible human being who found a way to survive years in
Nazi concentration camps, where, as a young man, he was subjected
to the worst kinds of abuse.
Reading “Man’s search for meaning as an adult, many years later, I
realized just how important and relevant Frank’s message was to us
all. Frankl argued that, while we cannot control what happens to us
in some circumstances, that we can, through acceptance and search
for meaning, cultivate attitude that will enable us to endure the most
difficult of life’s situations. According to Frankl, the meaning of life is
different for each individual – for some it may be found in close
relationships, for others it may be work or a hobby, while others may
find meaning in small, daily activities and interactions. Throughout
his work Frankl’s tone is always very human and non-judgmental,
which is best observed in his treatment of those who took their lives
– in other words, he is always simultaneously providing us with
insights on how finding one’s own meaning in the direst of situations
can save lives, while recognizing complex contexts and mental health
issues that may contribute to one’s suicide.
We are all equal in our humanity. We may suffer for different
reasons, but suffering is something that is experienced by all: rich and
poor, young and old, urban and rural, “ordinary folk” and famous
people. Celebrities, however, often reflect larger societal struggles.
Recent losses of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade are reminders
that even those fortunate enough to enjoy successful and creative
lives are not immune to mental health problems nor are they
immune to multitude of other factors that constitute our
often stressful and complex daily lives. As evident by the outpouring
of emotion by those who knew them it appears that both Bourdain
and Spade were artistic, driven, giving and loving individuals who
strived to create and bring goodness into the world. It is certain that
the world will miss their presence.
While I didn’t follow Spade’s work I still remember watching
Bourdain’s early food TV shows and his unique ability to merge the
food with smart and sophisticated commentary on culture and
society. I remember watching Bourdain with my late father who was
just thrilled that someone came up with such a smart idea of telling
us about foods from all over the world, while also reminding us that
food is more than just our basic need, but also a way of connecting,
socializing, better understanding each other. I loved watching
Bourdain’s shows because of his humanity and his ability to connect
and relate to people from all walks of life, from every culture.
Bourdain had that rare talent to make you feel like you knew him
– you may have watched him on a TV set, but he made you feel like
you were right there with him enjoying whatever dish he was eating.
He was always genuinely interested in what people had to say – a
quality that I, as a psychologist, especially appreciated.
We need to keep talking about Bourdain, Spade, and many others
who left us too soon. We need to keep talking about it so that we
better understand this issue and best ways to help. We frequently
hear reports of increase in suicide rates in the U.S.. Over the past
several years we’ve also been introduced to the growing problem of
and other caring individuals in helping professions are taking their
lives at alarming rates.
What we know from some early qualitative studies (e.g., Rosen, 1975)
of those who survived serious suicide attempts, such as jumping off
the Golden Gate Bridge, is that all of the survivors reported some
form of “spiritual rebirth” experience, “a sense of oneness or unity
with other human beings and the entire universe” (Rosen, 1975,
p.293), and none of the 7 survivors attempted suicide again. These
studies certainly provide some important insights. For instance, one
survivor “realized that halfway down he was going to hit a concrete
piling and he remained conscious to solve this problem,” and survived
by maneuvering “his body so that he only grazed the concrete piling”
(Rosen, 1975, p. 291). In other words, when given a few seconds to
reflect, the person wanted to live. While this is a very complex
problem, with a lot of individual variability, findings like those have
implications for prevention efforts. For example, these findings
highlight how important it is to remove access to firearms for those
at risk, as firearms are the most common method of death by suicide
– a method that does not leave any time to reflect or ask for help.
As a society we need to be better at talking about mental health in
general and about suicide in particular. While we made strides to
reduce stigma associated with mental health issues, it is important to
stay active, continue this discussion and advocate for public health
policies that will save lives.
Dr. Frankl, as I mentioned earlier, argued that the meaning of life is
a key motivator to our survival. While it differs for each individual,
finding meaning is important to each individual. One may argue
that the current era of information overload, with many of us
spending long hours alone and isolated on our iPhone, laptop and
iPad islands, faced with multiple pressures to be efficient and
productive, makes it easy for us to disconnect from each other and
walk around silently with accumulated stressors too often even
unaware of it. In such circumstances holding on to one’s own meaning
or reclaiming it can be challenging to say the least.
Today we lost Anthony Bourdain. For too long too many have lost
their fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, and friends
too early. It is time for all of us to help create a society that will
promote more time to cultivate close relationships, that will allow us
to reach out to each other, and that will provide us with
opportunities to get help and support when needed. I hope we all
can play a part in building a culture that will empower every
individual to find her or his meaning in life and offer help during
those dark moments in which we all may find ourselves at some
point. Together, as a community of connected family members,
friends, colleagues and neighbors we can make our society kinder
and stronger.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/sound-
bell/201806/reflection-the-meaning-life
REFLECTIONS ON VICTOR FRANKL’S MEANING OF LIFE
April 29, 2017 3 0 7074 Views
I think this idea is still very relevant nowadays. In today’s world we
increasingly complain about all kind of things, from ignorant car
drivers, mean colleagues to laws that our governments pass on us.
Doing so lies in our nature, especially when being exposed to the
(digital) illusion of the amazing life of our acquaintances on social
media. For them, everything seems to go a lot easier than for us.
We usually define being free as being free From regulations. Here I
mean regulations in a concrete sense (government regulations or
company rules) and also in an abstract sense (you can’t spend more
money than you have, you can’t just ignore your partners needs in a
relationship). We prefer to have as little rules as possible, to be free
in our choices and our style of living. We want to Have as much as
possible and don’t sacrifice on anything.
I think that in the eyes of Frankl this is not what’s meant with real
freedom:
In the context of his idea, you can only reach real freedom by being
independent from outside influences: You decide if you are okay
with yourself or let someone take your dignity. You decide if you
really want to tie your happiness to status, power or wealth.
And You decide if you want to change the circumstances: You have
the power to stop seeing yourself as a victim and start acting
proactively.
HIS PHILOSOPHY IS AN ESPECIALLY POWERFUL ONE, BECAUSE
IT PUTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US INTO RESPONSIBILITY FOR
OURSELVES.
The real key to happiness truly lies inside of us individually.
http://bleimschein.net/reflections-on-victor-frankls-
meaning-of-life/
The Meaning of Life According to Viktor Frankl
The meaning of life according to Viktor Frankl lies in
finding a purpose and taking responsibility for ourselves and other
human beings. By having a clear “why” we can face all the “how”
questions of life. Only by feeling free and sure of the objective that
motivates us will we be able to make the world a better place.
That said, we know there is no question as complicated as
what the “meaning of life” is. Such questions sometimes have
philosophical, transcendental and moral nuances, so often we stick to
classic sayings, like “be happy and make others happy“, “be
content“, “do good“.
“Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of
mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress”.
-Viktor Frankl-
However, many ask the question and feel a deep existential
void. What is the meaning of life for me if all I do is work, if all my
days are the same and if I do not find meaning in anything around
me? Faced with this very common situation, the famous neurologist,
psychiatrist and founder of logotherapy, Viktor Frankl, gave an
answer that invites constructive reflection.
Humans don’t have an obligation to define the meaning of life in
universal terms. Each of us will do it our way, starting with ourselves,
with our potential and experiences, discovering ourselves every day.
Moreover, the meaning of life may not only differ from one person to
another, but we ourselves may have a different life purpose
at each stage of life. The important thing is for each goal to give
us satisfaction and encouragement to get up in the morning and
fight for what we want.
The meaning of life according to Viktor Frankl lies in
finding a purpose and taking responsibility for ourselves and other
human beings. By having a clear “why” we can face all the “how”
questions of life. Only by feeling free and sure of the objective that
motivates us will we be able to make the world a better place.
That said, we know there is no question as complicated as
what the “meaning of life” is. Such questions sometimes have
philosophical, transcendental and moral nuances, so often we stick to
classic sayings, like “be happy and make others happy“, “be
content“, “do good“.
“Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of
mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress”.
-Viktor Frankl-
However, many ask the question and feel a deep existential
void. What is the meaning of life for me if all I do is work, if all my
days are the same and if I do not find meaning in anything around
me? Faced with this very common situation, the famous neurologist,
psychiatrist and founder of logotherapy, Viktor Frankl, gave an
answer that invites constructive reflection.
Humans don’t have an obligation to define the meaning of life in
universal terms. Each of us will do it our way, starting with ourselves,
with our potential and experiences, discovering ourselves every day.
Moreover, the meaning of life may not only differ from one person to
another, but we ourselves may have a different life purpose
at each stage of life. The important thing is for each goal to give
us satisfaction and encouragement to get up in the morning and
fight for what we want.
Even if you suffer, have your purpose clear and you will find
strength
Viktor Frankl explained in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” that
there is nothing worse than perceiving that our suffering is useless.
However, if you can find a purpose, you won’t just endure
your suffering; you’ll see it as a challenge.
Change your attitude to find a higher meaning in life
Sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes we work to exhaustion and
invest all our time, energy, emotions and heart… yet fate only hands
us setbacks. Every dream we have falls apart. Backing down is more
than logical and understandable, but when this happens we have
two options.
 First, to assume that we cannot change what happens to
us and be prisoners of circumstance.
 Second, to accept that we cannot change what has
happened to us but that we can change our attitude
towards it.
Therefore, we must adopt a stronger, more resilient and more
positive attitude if we want to find a more hopeful, higher meaning
of life.
The meaning of life is not asked, it is felt
All the answers to our questions in life are not on the outside. Books
will not explain what our own meaning of life is, nor will
our family or friends. In reality, all our needs, passions and
existential goals are within us. And they will change over time
as we mature and grow.
To conclude, nothing is as important as understanding the freedom
and responsibility we have to define our own goals. The meaning of
life according to Viktor Frankl centers around the fact that every
second of every day is a chance to make a decision, a decision
that will determine whether we’ll be subject to circumstance like a
puppet in the hands of fate, or if we’ll act with true dignity, listening [In Auschwitz] the question that beset me was, "Has all this suffering,
to our true self. all this dying around us, a meaning? For, if not, then ultimately there
is no meaning to survival; for a life whose meaning depends on such
https://exploringyourmind.com/the-meaning-of-life- a happenstance--as whether one escapes or not--ultimately would
according-to-viktor-f not be worth living at all."

What I find comforting in Frankl's perspective is that he's not denying

Viktor Frankl on Love, Suffering and the Meaning of Life
Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist who spent the years 1942-
45 in four different Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz.
By the end of the war his pregnant wife, his parents and his brother
had been murdered; among his immediate family, only he and his
sister survived. After the war he published Man's Search for Meaning,
a book inspired by his experiences in the camps, and one in which I've
found wisdom and comfort during times of difficulty.
As I wrote yesterday, I have been appreciating life while hoping for
the recovery of Roanak Desai, a student I've worked with for the past
few months who contracted cerebral malaria and was hospitalized
last week. I learned last night that Roanak had passed away, and
after a good cry with my wife, I turned to Frankl, seeking to make
some sense of this meaningless tragedy. Frankl writes:
[pp 111-115] We can discover this meaning of life in three different
ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing
something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take
toward unavoidable suffering. The first, by way of achievement or
accomplishment, is quite obvious. The second and third need further
elaboration.
The Meaning of Love
Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost
core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the essence
of another human being unless he loves him. By his love he is enabled
to see the essential traits and features of the beloved person; and
even more, he sees that which is potential in him, which is not yet
actualized but yet ought to be actualized. Furthermore, by his love,
the loving person enables the beloved person to actualize these
potentialities. By making him aware of what he can be and of what
he should become, he makes these potentialities come true...
the grief and rage that spring from suffering and
tragedy. He's not "making the best of things." And he's not blithely
suggesting that "everything happens for a reason" (which I find a
particularly unhelpful expression of condolence.)
What Frankl is doing is encouraging us to acknowledge our grief and
rage, and also to see our suffering as an experience in which it is
possible to find meaning. The nature of that meaning will be different
for all of us, of course, even in response to the same tragedy. There's
no one-size-fits-all meaning-of-life. And discovering that meaning
will be hard work, made even harder by our grief and rage.
In the case of Roanak's passing, I'm finding meaning in the realization
that, although I knew Roanak for just a few months, the nature of
our work together gave me an opportunity to know him well, to talk
at length about our hopes and aspirations, and, indeed, to love him.
Roanak was an easy person to love, with a warm heart, a ready smile
and an inspiring approach to life that had an impact on many
people around him. None of this diminishes my grief, and knowing
how hard I'm taking this loss, I'm heartbroken at the thought of how
hard it must be for Roanak's parents, his close friends and other loved
ones. And, of course, I'm reminded of the recent death of Richard
Wright, my father-in-law, another man whose passing left a large
hole in a community and a family, and the cumulative impact of
these losses is making them harder to bear.
And yet there's something in Frankl's words, something about the
search for meaning, that makes it easier. The nature of that meaning
is not at all clear to me now, and perhaps it never will be. Perhaps
this search for meaning is in fact the purpose of life. I don't know, but
thank you, Viktor. And good-bye, Roanak. You are missed.
https://www.edbatista.com/2010/04/life.html

The third way of finding a meaning in life is by suffering.

The Meaning of Suffering

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 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...

But let me make it perfectly clear that in no way is

suffering necessary to find meaning. I only insist that meaning is
possible even in spite of suffering--provided, certainly, that the
suffering is unavoidable. If it were avoidable, however, the
meaningful thing to do would be to remove its cause, be it
psychological, biological or political...

There are situations in which one is cut off from the opportunity to
do one's work or enjoy one's life; but what can never be ruled out is
the unavoidability of suffering. In accepting this challenge to suffer
bravely, life has a meaning up to the last moment, and it retains this
meaning literally to the end. In other words, life's meaning is an
unconditional one, for it even includes the potential meaning of
unavoidable suffering...