Man's Search For Meaning: 8 Lessons You Need to Know About Life (Part 2)
- Slice of Psych
- Jun 5, 2021
- 4 min read
Reminder: Before you read this make sure to listen to the part 1 (episode 3) first.
1. Hope can be beneficial or deadly
When they arrived on the camp, they experienced this illusion called delusion of reprieve wherein they believed it won’t be so bad. This drop of hope that we have let us keep going despite the situation and if it turns out that we are right. Hope become Joy, but then if it turns out that we are completely wrong, Hope transforms into disappointment. Our state of mind has a strong connection on our body that’s why the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.
2. To stay alive, take care of yourself
A colleague of Mr. Frankl gave them this tip. If you want to stay alive, look fit for work, shave daily to look younger, and stand and walk smartly. This scenario reminded me na even though we are experiencing the darkest moment of our life, let us not neglglect our well-being. Stay fit and clean. Eat healthy foods as well because in the long run our body will benefit from it. It is very applicable in this time of pandemic since we cannot afford to get sick but of course, we cannot compare the Holocaust and Covid 19 pandemic as before, the 50 50 percent cannot be applied because they were shot on the spot.
3. Choose to be kind despite the differences
You have nothing to lose so choose to be kind. If we choose to be kind to other people despite the race, status, and beliefs, they will appreciate us for that and we will be more proud of ourselves.
4. No man should be judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in similar situation he might not have done the same.
This is the exact quote from the book. People tend to have prejudice or bias when they heard something bad about another person. I believe that we don’t have the right to judge other people because of their mistakes if we don't know the whole story. Check the facts first, get to know the person, and remind yourself that whatever happened in the past they are not their mistakes. Our mistakes don’t define us.
5. It’s up to us whether we let our fate decide or we decide our fate
What I learned is it is up to us to assess the situation whether to let it be or manipulate it. It’s funny because life is like a game. Life has infinite questions waiting to be discovered and answered but life itself is a question.
6. When everything is taken away, what we only have is the freedom to act
On the last episode, I talk about the second phase of the inmate’s mental state which is apathy. Aside from being a defense mechanism, other factors contributed to the apathy and irritability of the inmates like hunger and lack of sleep. We can say that we are unavoidably influenced by our surroundings but we can choose how to act in any given circumstances. Earlier, I said life is like a game. Life is also a gamble. We can win or lose and it depends on our decisions. Mr. Frankl stated quote unquote “it is a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance”. I think this is something Peeta Mellark of The Hunger Games would say. He once said to Katniss “I just don’t want them to change me. I just don’t want to be another piece in their game. I just keep wishing that I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me. If I'm gonna die, I want to still be me," Quote unquote.
7. It did not really matter what we expected with life, but rather what life expected from us
Mr. Frankl said that we need to stop asking what is the meaning of life. I also agree with that because we have to create it ourselves. Problems and suffering are abundant in life. It’s time to ask yourself, "are you making the most out of your life?". Make every day count. So make sure to do good acts while you are still living.
8. The meaning of life is subjective
It is because we shape our own fate but there are times that we simply have to accept our fate. My main point is the meaning of life is different from person to person. So if ever someone ask me what is the meaning of life. Maybe, I’ll answer “it is up to you how you will define life and your purpose in life might help you “.
Today, I just turned 18. Someone asked me what will be the theme of my life at 18 and I said, I want this year until the day before I turned 19, to be my starting point to believe and live. A year in which I believe in myself again and to also believe that the world could be better.
So remember that hope is really powerful, don’t forget to take care of yourself, be kind, don’t judge other people too much, assess every situation, make every day count, and create your own meaning of life. I hope this episode will help you in any way. Please let me know.
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Articles referenced in this episode:
a book : epub copy from VK
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