Book Summary 8 — A Man’s search for Meaning!

Michael Batko
Jul 10, 2017 · 3 min read

Key Insights

The mental state and belief have a fundamental effect on the body.

The Will to Meaning

Search for meaning is the primary motivation, rather than secondary rationalisation.

- it’s unique and specific and can only be achieved by yourself, which is what makes it meaningful

Meaning of Life

- what matters is not the meaning of life in general, but more so the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.

- Don’t ask the question, but rather answer for yourself

Find:

1) by creating work or doing deed

2) experience smthg or encounter someone

3) attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering


Logo-therapy

- putting life together hanging on to one thin straw

- tracing neurosis back to failure to find meaning / responsibility

- Freud — sexual frustration

- Frankl — frustration in the “will-to-meaning”

Part I — The Camp

Periods in Concentration Camp

1) Admission — shock

2) Routine

3) Liberation

A) Shock

Delusion of Reprieve — illusion in the last minute that everything might turn out well

An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is a normal reaction.

B) Apathy

- emotional death

- The salvation of man is through love and in love.

- Love goes very far beyond physical person, deepest meaning in spiritual being / inner self

- Humour allows for aloofness and rising above situation in any situation for a few seconds

- Scale of relative luck (comparing yourself against others)

Fitting into the crowd — a method of self-preservation (to not be conspicuous

Unemployment / uncertainty around future makes days / hours feel much longer.

Suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.

The mental state and belief have a fundamental effect on the body.

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how- Nietzsche

When the impossibility if replacing a human being is realised, it allows the responsibility which a man has for his existence and its continuance to appear in all its magnitude.

C) Liberation

- Bitterness — nobody recognises how much suffering

- Disillusionment — dreams goals not there or not as enticing as imagined


Part II -Logotherapy

Psychoanalysis

- telling about disagreeable things

- retrospective

- introspective

- strive for power / sex

Logotherapy

- listening to disagreeable things

- focus: future purpose

- the will to meaning

The Will to Meaning

Search for meaning is the primary motivation, rather than secondary rationalisation.

- it’s unique and specific and can only be achieved by yourself, which is what makes it meaningful

Noogebic Neurosis

- mind disorders

- existential problem

Existential Vacuum

- sometimes we don’t know what we want

- conformism — do what others do

- totalitarianism — do what others tell you to do

- manifest itself in the state of boredom

Meaning — will to …

- money

- power

- pleasure

Meaning of Life

- what matters is not the meaning of life in general, but more so the specific meaning of a person’s life at a given moment.

- Don’t ask the question, but rather answer for yourself

Find:

1) by creating work or doing deed

2) experience smthg or encounter someone

3) attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering

Hyper-intention

- too focused on goal which is counterproductive (ie orgasm — concentrate on partner instead of yourself)

Paradoxical Intention

- do the opposite of what you want

- stay awake as long as possible if fear of sleeplessness

- tell people how much you sweat if you fear of sweating a lot

- joke about your situation

Every man can change anything.

MEn have good and evil within himself, which one is actualised depends on his decision, not on conditions.

Happiness

- can’t be forced

- but the reason to be happy needs to be found and then its automatic

- and you become optimistic

Mass Neurotic Symptom

- Depression — meaninglessness/unemployment neurosis, realise purpose later just give it time

- Aggression — only happy if joint task/purpose with another person

- Addiction — feel like life is meaningless

What’s the meaning?

- Study people who claim they found theirs

1) Create work / do a deed

2) Love

3) Attitude towards unavoidable suffering

- see it as growth experience “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”

The world is in a bad state and will only be worse if we don’t do our best.

— Since Ausschwitz we know what man is capable of.

— Since Hiroshima we know what’s at stake.

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MBReads

Goal: Read and summarise one book a week

Michael Batko

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MBReads

MBReads

Goal: Read and summarise one book a week

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