Frankl wrote the “Man’s Search for Meaning” to describe the suffering of most people who were held in the concentration camps during the Second World War. Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist and among those in the camps, where he experiences harsh treatment and suffering. Frankl has described his experience, which he used to provide evidence in the “Logotherapy” approach. In the book, Frankl indicates that though the Nazis imposed a lot of suffering on him, took away his family, and imprisoned him, they could not decide how he would be. Frankl indicates that he had control over the way he acted, reacted, or behaved. Frankl continuous to indicate that he was responsible for his behavior. These factors are the pillars of existential and cognitive therapy in the contemporary world. According to existential theory, an individual has the power to decide their behavior, and they are responsible for it.
Existential therapy aims at helping the client to gain insight into themselves. The clients will also learn about the unconscious motives that contribute to decision making, especially in detrimental cases. The knowledge is necessary in making informed decisions about how to be. In the book, Frankl emphasizes personal responsibility for their behaviors. It can be seen by where Frankl and his friend were free from Nazi camp and decided to join the allied forces. Frankl’s peer was dragging him through a field, but when they came near new crops, Frankl stopped as he did not want to destroy them. Frankl warned his friend about trampling on the crops, and he indicated that it was right considering all the suffering they underwent. Frankl, however, stated that though they had experienced a lot of injustices, it was not an excuse to act wrong by destroying the plants. The situation reflects in the lives of people where acting wrong cannot pay for injustices done.
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In the book, Frankl does not judge the misdeeds of others but guides how people should behave differently. The concept is used in therapy, for example, where a person has undergone some painful experience in the past, and they are looking for healing. When assisting the people who experienced horrors in the concentration camps, Frankl focused on overcoming anger, disillusionment, bitterness, and resentment. In therapy, an individual is assisted in overcoming the anger feelings instead of thinking about revenge, which will consume them. Therefore, the concepts that Frankl introduces can be used by therapists in the modern world to assist individuals who have faced traumatic cases such as abuse. The information in the book can be used to offer empowerment to people in the world so that they can take responsibility for their lives and actions. The book provides lessons on forgetting the pain one experienced and creating a new meaning about their life. It offers a model of living that is above the influence of circumstances.
Frankl's “Man's Search for Meaning,” is a book I would recommend for people to read. It provides information about the second world war and the Nazi concentration camps, thus a historical source. It shows how people suffered, but that did not hold others back, such as Frankl, who gets from the concentration camp and joins the allied army. The information is reliable because it is written from a participant’s point of view. Frankl experienced all the suffering and even lost his family. However, Frankl states that his situation could not hold him back as he alone could decide on who to be. The book has lots of lessons applicable to contemporary life. Therapists can also take some factors to assist people in overcoming past experiences and moving on with life.
