Saturday, October 10, 2015

A Man's Search for Meaning: My Reflection


What drives a person to live? What pushes us to go along in spite of intricacies of life? These are questions that I want to seek when I first saw the title of Viktor Frankl’s book. It was a very interesting story which inspires me to find my own path, where I can see myself flourishing with different colors.
            This book is one of my favorites. I happened to know this because someone recommended it to me. I was also challenged that this book will provide existential beliefs and will change (at least) my way of looking about things. Indeed, it was a great choice!
 I hope that my generation, millenials to be particular, will read this book. It will serve as a revelation and guide on which path to take, and it will ignite individual’s fervor to look for the reason of their existence. Although science is significant in our lives, science cannot explain solely things around us such as meaning, love, passion, and hope.  Abstract things will never be perceived through the use of our naked eyes but can only be perceived by our hearts. Once you felt it, you no longer need to express it through words or elucidate its proof using scientific formula.
            I remember Jonathan Livingston Seagull’s goal, another best-selling book, which is “do not be afraid of showing your wings, of pursuing different way from the majority because being unique doesn’t make you deviant rather it makes you who you really are.” It reminds me that we are a perfect being. Thinking as a perfect being doesn’t mean there’s no room for us to commit any mistakes rather it means that we live our life to the fullest and being the best as we can be.  Our souls possess inexplicable power, and a person experiencing the darkest of the darkest predicament will always have a way to surpass those difficulties. It is still a mystery as I put it, for science cannot measure the will of the person, the will to continue even chains of poverty, hunger and suffering pulling him down.
            As I read the pages of Frankl’s book, I pondered a lot of things. Here’s my list of insights:
One, I think that our souls are incarcerated in this body which limits us to see our full power but if we have enough will, we can use it. Does it makes sense?  
Two, science and books will not be able to measure our will. Frankl’s goal to be released in the camp is an evident example. He eats less and sleeps less each day as well as he suffers psychologically, physically and spiritually. He supposed to be dead by that time, but he lived because of his great will power to survive. And that power to survive is immeasurable.
Third, happiness is about mindset. The academe taught me to become so cautious and doubtful in things that I see in the world. I do not rely on things that are not supported by empirical evidences, I question almost everything, and it seemed that I became doubtful. I guess, science and objective reasoning changed me. With this recognition of the world, I feel that sometimes the world is cruel and bias. But through thinking about people that I care and love, these feelings of sorrows and disappointments in life fade away. Happiness is a choice. If we only rely on objectivity, sometimes we tend to become stoic but if we rely more on subjectivity, we tend to commit mistakes because of uncontrolled flow of emotions. I guess the balance between these two things must be achieved. You choose which road to take without neglecting the essence of these two things.
Fourth, I like Dr. Frankl’s statement “Pleasure is, and must remain, a side-effect or by-product, and is destroyed and spoiled to the degree to which it is made a goal in itself.” Pleasure must be the result of hard work; it is not a sought-after goal. If we set pleasure as our aim, then life would be superficial and dull.  Fifth, his views in life taught me to cherish every moment because one day all of us will die.
Finally, I believe in Dr. Frankl’s statement “Man's main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life,” because there are situations in life that we still continue to endure pain and tension because we find meaning to it.
            Frankl’s book is priceless, it contains thoughts which has a valuable substance that must be shared and be circularized around the globe. It is an eye-opener to any individual that we should not give up and we must continue to live. We must search for meaning and that is the primary goal of man. His theory is very unique the same with Freud’s for reason that it contains human’s morality. And when I refer to morality, his theory protects the welfare of the people, giving the people a sense of understanding to one’s self and teaching the people to show its hidden spirit, waiting to be awaken when in time. The essence of the book is more than spreading the information during the time of World War I, its heartfelt story will surely move any people, ignite the desires to continue searching for our meaning. Thus, it is not surprising that it is one of the best-selling books of all time and touched millions of people around the world. Reading this will surely help the posterity and save millions of people enslaved by their own misery and sufferings.
            I love the main goal of his theory which is logotherapy, it taught me something that I will never forget. The worst thing of all is not dying per se, but dying without knowing your own existence. We should live for the following main three reasons and we should put these things in our heart and mind: Live because there is love, live because we have talent to use and above all, we have lingering memories preserved.
            I recommend this book to young individuals, the generation where I belong.  I would like to quote Dr. Frankl’s reminder for young people like me, “Don’t aim at success — the more you aim at it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued ... Happiness must happen and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.” My generation forgets to think for a moment. Most of my young people, like me, are busy looking at life in a different view, viewing life as a matter of acquiring earthly possessions. Unfortunately, it is evident. When I look at social media such as Facebook and Twitter, I see most of my friends in the same generation are posting things about their new gadgets, expensive food they will eat, expensive places they have just seen, and many more that are not so essential. Instead of seeing life in this kind of perspective, I think it is better for me to follow what Frankl stated in his book. I should look life at its nakedness. Nakedness means life far from earthly things, a life that is not ranked by wealth. Although sometimes it is good to feel that you have acquired something like material things out of your hard work, but I think it should not be posted in the social media every now and then especially if you are just starting to make good fortunes in your own. As for me, it is like boasting what you have just got and it is like getting too much attention.  
            My generation tends to compete with others as if life is about survival, as if life is about a race. Instead of trying to outperform others, why not try to compete ourselves? Competing the self is far safer and more meaningful than trying to compete with others.  I think and I feel that most of us tend to race or consider life as games, seeing life as black and white or seeing life as win or lose. I just realized after reading the book that we must redefine success in life, success does measure neither material possessions nor fame. As for me, success in life must be a measurement of individual’s meaning, knowing the reason of person’s existence in this world. It is indeed grateful to know that I am alive but being cognizant of my own purpose is much more joy. I realized that I should not take my life too seriously that I even forget to say grace to the ultimate Being and express love to people around me. I am very grateful reading this book once again, for this is the right time of reading it. Reminding me once again not to count the possessions I have but happy memories that linger in my mind, meaningful conversation with significant people in my life, and taking things one step at a time. There is no need to rush on things for I am very young. I need to listen more often and talk less. I need to read more books and comprehend unfathomable circumstances that occur in my pathways. I need to be more open and kind. I need to internalize more principles that I have learned in school and I need to enjoy my life with my loved ones. Above all, I have learned that the finest things in life are not seen but meaning of my existence is.


No comments:

Post a Comment