Adult Development Issues

Frankl’s message was one of hope. He believes that no matter how unpleasant, stupid, or discouraging the circumstances appear to be, life may still be given purpose. Similarly, even pain can be given meaning. The terrible life in the concentration camp taught Frankl valuable life lessons, including the realization that the primary motivator in life is not power or pleasure, but meaning.

Similarly, in his teaching about the meaning of life, Frankl used the term “Sunday neurosis” to describe the kind of depression that the majority of people experience at the end of a busy and working week. That is often when most of them realize how worthless and empty life may become.  With such thoughts in mind, it opens doors to all sorts of negativities such as drinking to drown the negative thoughts, neurotic anxiety, over speeding and also at some point overworking.

Consequently, such thoughts lead to depression because a person realizes that their chances of achieving their goals and objectives continue to dwindle. The gap between their desired life and the real life has become so huge that they don’t see themselves beaching it anytime soon. Therefore, Frankl reckons that depression should be an indicator of telling someone that there is something wrong in their life which needs a solution. To avoid depression resulting from the mental perceptions of failure in life due to unachieved goals and targets, Frankl teaches that people should realize that they have a limited life and their main preoccupation should be to discover who they truly are. Such thoughts would give meaning to life (Hutchison, 2016).

Furthermore, the experience of life at the concentration camp during the Second World War emboldens Frankl’s resolve on life as he teaches that life meaning can be obtained through experience and the authentic interaction of other people and the environment. Moreover, he reckons that a meaningful life is when one gives something to the society through self-expression and creativity. Finally, he exhorts people be willing to change their attitude regarding life when they find themselves in circumstances that are beyond them.

Reference

Hutchison, S. (2016). Book review: Frankl, VE (1984) Man’s search for meaning, revised and updated. New York: Washington Square Press. Educational Journal of Living Theories, 9(2), 99-102.