...Man’s Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl's “Man’s Search for Meaning” is a story about his survival in Nazi concentration camps. He speaks about the flight and mindset he had in order to survive. This is a story that makes you feel that you can get through the toughest times if he could endure what he did especially in the Auschwitz concentration camp. Most of our complaints and problems are truly trivial compared to his life in the various camps for being a condemned Jew in Nazi Germany during World War II. While reading about Frankl’s life I could not believe I complain about trivial problems I have in todays world. The most significant idea I uncovered during my reading was that we have the freedom to control how we choose to react to situations and problems we step in to and inherit. Unlike an animal that reacts to stimuli, we have the freedom to think about how we want to act. No one can take away our ability to use the power of our mind to control our reactions. For me the most significant idea I uncovered during my reading was that human freedom is the freedom to control our attitude toward the situations we inherit. We do not have to respond to stimuli like animals, and no one can take this ultimate freedom away. I believe this idea of controlling my own freedom contributes significantly to my personal and professional life. I have truly adopted and follow a saying, “Don’t worry about the things you cannot change.” This to me is exactly what Frankl did living in the...
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...Reflections on Man’s Search For Meaning INT 101 Dr. Walker December 4 2013 Thomas Jefferson wrote – “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”1 The pursuit of happiness seems to be the end game for life, but is it? Viktor Frankl is a concentration camp survivor and goes one level deeper in his book Man’s Search For Meaning. Finding the true meaning in life is the key to self-actualization. Frankl quotes the words of Fredrich Nietzsche – “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”2 Frankl reveals what life was like in the concentration camps. He also discusses Logotherapy, which he created. Frankl was subjected to four different Nazi camps and was dehumanized to a mere number: 119,104. Moreover, Nazis murdered his wife, mother, father, and unborn child, yet Frankl was able to find a purpose for living in all his sufferings. Frankl goes into detail on the concentration camps. Life was hell on earth. What appeared to him was the mind’s power to protect. The longer the stay, the more numbing all human emotion became. There are some behaviors I would like to highlight. They are strong and appear based on Frankl’s experiences in the camps. Hope People died daily in the camps. The guards played a finger game. They would randomly point, and if you were picked, you died. The simple act of pointing delivered your fate. Prisoners who focused on the WHY to live had a better chance at survival. Frankl determined that a youthful face and eagerness to work increased...
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...Since the beginning of time, humans have searched for the meaning of life and for the meaning of our existence in the solar system. This never ending search for answers is the foundation that our astronomical sciences are based on. One topic that is extremely popular and often over dramatized is the search for other worlds and the possibility of other creatures on those worlds. This topic is accompanied by a lot of controversy due to science fiction and is often belittled as a serious science. However, this search carries an extensive history and can be the key to finally finding and ending our search. By reviewing and reworking past theories and beliefs, such as the Mars Canals, we may be led to the true answer behind the search. The idea...
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...Man’s Search for Meaning Book Review There have been several books written by those who suffered in concentration camps during World War II; however, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is the both a fascinating and hopeful book from this period. This book is comprised of two primary parts. Part one is “Experiences in a Concentration Camp,” and part two is titled “Logotherapy in a Nutshell”. There is also a postscript entitled “The Case for a Tragic Optimism”. Throughout the book, Frankl gives the readers a new perspective about to how to view life and reiterates the statement that life is utterly what you decide to make of it. Frankl clearly states that he did not want to solely focus on the negative aspects from his stay in four different Concentration Camps including Auschwitz and Dachau but rather his own personal experience of survival. Immediately upon entering Auschwitz in 1942, he had to part ways with his prized almost completed scientific manuscript, which meant a great deal to him. Man’s Search for Meaning teaches the reader that it is possible to be positive in the most dire of situations. There are several factors in the book that Frankl discusses that helped him survive in the camps. He noted that there are three phases of the inmate’s mental reactions to life in camp: the admission period, the period when he is deep into the camp routine, and that after his release and liberation. His camp experience seemed nothing shy of a nightmare. Liberation...
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...Problem 5 “Mans Search for Meaning” 5 The 5 programs 5 The Study 6 Table 1: Study Results 6 Analysis Team Annie Malpartida Brad Ingram Daniel Ojst Fernando Lamelas Jeremy Spund Introduction The Problem Manufacturing across the Midwest has seen sharp declines in the May 08 to May 09 Year. The automotive industry saw a reduction of over 39%, Steel output was down 36.8%, and manufacturing as a sector saw a 24% decrease.[i] But what does this mean for Morgan Moe Drugstores? Why is manufacturing so important? The Midwest primary output is manufacturing and agriculture. A decline in either one of these sectors means that the workers driving the Midwest economy have less to spend; meaning that the economic circulation in the region as a whole decreases. This loss of manufacturing is seen in the falling revenues of Morgan Moe. In many ways, the company has dealt with the difficult economic climate well. It has closed underperforming stores, consolidated the workforce, and reduced overhead. However, the laying off of many employees had some consequences. Negative press, internal rumors, and malcontent are spreading through the workforce. Websites like www.Ihatemorganmoe.blogspot.com are developing to further spread the discontent of laid-off workers. “Mans Search for Meaning” Upon reading this book, Jim Claussen, the Vice President of Human Relations, read a book by the psychologist Vicktor Frankl. Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl[ii]...
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...Tasia Barefield PHIL 104 - 003 Professor Steinbock 2-19-13 What is the Meaning of Life? After reading A Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor R. Frankl and short story The Grand Inquisitor on the Nature of Man by Fyodor Dostoevsky, one may begin to question freedom and the meaning of life is. Both books give their readers an abundance of information for them to decide for themselves if these two things go hand in hand. After reading both books I came to realize that a person does not need to be free to have a meaning of life. A person can find happiness in any situation they are placed in when they just have to find a reason to be happy. The Grand Inquisitor on the Nature of Man is a short story from the novel The Brothers Karamazov. The story about human nature and freedom is told by Ivan to his younger brother Alyosha. Alyosha just so happens to be a Monk and Ivan questions if there is a God. Their discussion is very dramatic and causes its readers to assume Ivan’s standpoint on religious faith. It almost seems as if Ivan is trying to get Alyosha to really think about his faith. He never says what he truly believes in; he kept his role as storyteller throughout the whole story. Dostoevsky’s story is about Jesus returning to earth to the city of Seville, during the Spanish Inquisition. He explains that the people automatically recognized him when they first saw him. Ivan explains to Alyosha saying: He comes silently and unannounced;...
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...with a simple YES or NO. It takes time, with deep thought and seeking information for unanswerable questions. Even philosophical experts, creative thinkers, and students alike have most likely contemplated and thoroughly thought out this question into detail, yet still failed to give a definite, precise answer for such a complex, powerful statement. In this paper, I consider Leo Tolstoy’s view on “Is Religion Relevant?” through a well-known work of his called “The Confession”. Is Tolstoy right in claiming that to understand the importance of living a life full of meaning, truth, and understanding, one does need to experience the relevance and power of religion in their life? The answer is YES, Tolstoy is right, one can find through seeking out meaning, truth, and understanding that religion is relevant. I believe it is relevant based upon the truth founded in accordance to God’s grace to provide hope and guidance to man. Even though it could be argued that the relevance of religion isn’t valuable in society or God’s grace, through Tolstoy’s article “The Confession” I will show its essence and impact on life. It is important that religion “deal with the total concrete fact, even as love must. It must stretch the understanding to the dimensions of the Fact, nor cut down the Fact to the dimensions of the understanding.” [p.53 Wieman(1)] It shouldn’t tone down or hold back anything, it is the upfront truth. Religion is defined as “(1): the service and worship of God or the supernatural...
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...Letter to a European Philosopher You talk in great detail about how you view the common man and how he feels about the world. You suggest that man is no better than a herd animal. You also have invented your “Superman” to explain away your own narcissism. Calling that man an Übermensch, you declare that this person is the only one who has the strength of will to change his life and rise above the herd. The Übermensch you talk about is essentially an extremely intelligent yet immature, possibly even socially retarded egotist. These are precisely the type of people who would be drawn in by your Doctrine. These people tend to pleasure in things that make them seem more important. I understand that your father, who by all accounts was a man of God, died when you were very young. As a result of this tragedy your mother along with your other female relatives lavished you with too much affection and no doubt catered to your every whim, giving you an overwhelming sense of self importance. One of your more famous quotes asks a very simple but troubling question, “Is man one of God’s blunders or is God one of man’s?” I am not going to pretend to understand a lot of what your personal philosophies mean, but I do know that much of what you theorize, although on the surface may seem true, once opened to serious meditation becomes troubling. The idea that man is very much like a herd animal is interesting. Many people in my own time seem many similar to...
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...Sometimes, people find themselves in a revised situation: they do not have the knowledge of who they are but they do have enough courage to step out of their cycle and find out. Generally, the fear of not knowing scares an individual to the extent that they will not take a chance to exploring the answers.They tend to fear the potential findings or the trouble they may encounter. Though this is a common fear, a few people deem it necessary to take this risk, regardless of the aftermath, such as Siddhartha, the main character from ….’ Siddhartha. Siddhartha was fortunate enough to be raised by a man and a group of people with great knowledge. Although he was surrounded by a very knowledgeable group, Siddhartha believed that those around him did...
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...Kyle Nerbonne English 1102 Dr. Wilson Spring 2011 Title Joyce Carol Oates, an American fiction writer, was born in 1938, in Lockport, New York and many hold Oates as "America's preeminent master of the short story.” Her literary career began with her first novel, With Shuddering Fall, in 1964. Soon after she wrote her most noted work, “Where are you going, where have you been.” She grew up in the Erie County countryside near Lockport, which provided the setting for some of her stories and novels. I believe that this area where she grew up was where she based her story “Where are you going, Where have you been.” She was raised in a catholic household, but now is an Atheist, which could be why in “Where are you going, Where have you been” she is portraying the battle between good and evil. Oates’s critics argue that this short story is about sexual innocence, but I believe that Oates is portraying the religious battle between good and evil and she describes real life in her fictional work. In “Where are you going, Where have you been,” Connie, the young girl, hates her mom because her mom is jealous that her daughter is so beautiful. So Connie and her mom are always fighting and arguing about how Connie needs to be careful. When Connie leaves her house and goes out with her friends she dresses modestly just to make her mom happy, but when her friend’s dad drops her off she rolls up her shirt so that she is showing off some skin. She and her friends go to a fly infested,...
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...College Writing II Searching for The Meaning of Life to make a Life Worth Living It was a typical Sunday night and after a long weekend you go to bed exhausted. After what seemed like minutes you open your eyes to the sound of the alarm blaring in your ear. Wanting nothing more but to hit the snooze button and drift back to sleep you turn on your phone and realize you are already running late to class. Immediately you jump out of bed, grab your backpack and sprint out the door. At the same time you run out of the door your phone slips from your pocket and it shatters on the concrete. You feel as if it is the end of the world, and the only thing on your mind is the thought of not being able to check Facebook or Twitter for the rest of the day and it just tears you apart. After what seems to be the worse day ever your phone rings. Irritated and unable to see who is calling you angrily answer the call. Realizing it is your mother on the other line you immediately interrupt her to tell her it is dire that you get a new phone as soon as possible. After ignorantly insisting for a new phone your mother then informs you that your grandmother has severely fallen and it is not looking to good for her and she might not make it. Taken back you instantly realize how selfish and ungrateful you were acting. Sometimes people get caught up in materialistic things and lose sight of the true meaning of life. It is moments like these that bring us back to reality and remind us not...
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...Introduction Tesco has many challenges using the internet, these needs has to be faced when they sell products on the internet in todays globalisation. Channel Conflict and Disintermediation Disintermediation means that the company cuts the middle man out from the business. For example, if it was a small shop, they would buy their products from a wholesaler. If they could start to buy their products straight from the manufacturer, they would cut out the wholesaler. The wholesaler will lose out – this will cause channel conflict. Tesco aren’t getting rid of an external middle man but they are getting rid of an internal middle man. Instead of going into the shops from the warehouse, the products will go straight to the customer. As long as this does not affect any jobs in the stores, there won’t be any channel conflict because no other businesses are losing out. Tesco might need to redistribute their staff, with more in the warehouse and less in the stores. Low customer confidence in payment security The customers that use the Tesco website do not believe that the payment system is secure because some people can get into the system and steal the customer’s personal details. This will allow them to look at the bank number and pass it on for ID theft – this can lead to fraudulent use. Challenge of delivering goods (expectations of customer and reliability) When Tesco deliver their goods to the customer they have to make sure the customer has the right products that they...
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...dictionary. Using a concordance is simple and helpful. For example, say while reading the word love is appearing repeatedly. As readers we then can search for the word love in the concordance. The word love appears many times in the Bible. To get more familiar with the meaning, skimming through the passages that the concordance has refered can further our knowledge about the term. Hopefully the definition of the word is understandable and is able to...
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...Incomplete Essay Man’s Search for Meaning is a relatively short but powerful novel about an experience through a concentration camp from the eyes of psychologist and author, Victor E. Frankel. “I had wanted simply to convey to the reader by way of a concrete example that life holds a potential meaning under any condition, even the most miserable ones.” (Victor Frankl). The first half of the book takes place in concentration camps throughout Europe, including the legendary Auschwitz. In his account of the camps, Frankl describes the nature of man when subjected to immense suffering. He gives large contrasts of prisoners giving in to the suffering and how they rise above it. His ideas deal with the value of life even at times of suffering and hopelessness and how everyone has to understand that. One of the main topics he discusses concerning suffering is that of hope. Without hope then there would be no point in anyone enduring the suffering with which they endured during these Nazi concentration camps. Frankl says that, “Every man was controlled by one thought only: to keep himself alive for the family waiting for him at home, and to save his friends. With no hesitation, therefore, he would arrange for another prisoner, another ‘number,’ to take his place in the transport.” This really shows how much suffering people went through just in hope of returning to loved ones. Another one of his lines from his book is, “Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as...
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...special mixture to possess Diana’s heart and an elderly man, who makes his money when men like Alan return for the cleaner after they force love. As the story develops, we learn that love cannot be bought. There is symbolism between the term chaser and glove cleaner when the old man says to Alan, “ ‘Call it a glove-cleaner if you like,’ said the old man indifferently. ‘Maybe it will clean gloves. I have never tried. One might call it a life cleaner. Life needs cleaning sometimes’ ” (Collier 1). The symbolization is that the life-cleaner is a poison that some people have returned for to get rid of the love-potion induced person. The definition of chaser according to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary is “a mild drink taken after hard liquor” (Merriam-Webster.com). The chaser drink reduces the severity of the taste of hard liquor, like the life cleaner, reduces the severity of suffocating relationships. One quote which showcases the double meaning is when the old man says, “ ‘For indifference,’ said the old man ‘they substitute devotion, for scorn, adoration. Give one tiny measure of this to the young lady-its flavor is imperceptible in orange juice, soup, or cocktails-and however gay and giddy she is, she will change altogether. She will want nothing but solitude and you’ ” (2). The old man is revealing that the special mixture will completely change Diana from the moment she ingests it. When Alan goes to see the old man for the potion, he is the one chasing Diana. The story...
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