have you read Viktor Frankl?

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Hi, how many people in here have read Viktor Frankl's Man's search for meaning?

has it helped you? how did you find out about it?

To me, it's one of the two or three most important books in my life,
a book that everyone must have, I'm constantly learning something
new from it everytime I've read it.

I read it many years ago. Can't remember a lot about it. I think it was referenced in the book "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. That one was broader in scope, and you would probably enjoy it as well as the follow up, "The Evolving Self."

The Evolving Self had a huge impact on my life, and also led me to Richard Dawkins' work, "The Selfish Gene."

This subject is one of my major interests.

<Puts hand up>

It didn't solve my basic problems, but it illuminated them, and was very thought provoking.
I can't remember which other reading in psychology and philosophy first threw up his name.
For me that represents a large interlocking field.

There's lots of observational truth in the book but the conclusion is, for me, double-edged.

The two key points appear to be optimism and meaning. But...

"...optimism is not anything to be commanded or ordered. One cannot even force oneself to be optimistic indiscriminately, against all odds, against all hope."

"And how does a human being go about FINDING meaning? ...All we can do is study the lives of people who seem to have found their answers..."

The first is true and, in the long run, I've never found another example of "meaning" I could believe in.

{Suggestions on a postcard, or here, please}

Latest delve into meaning and existence:
Keith Stanovich's "The Robot's Rebellion: finding meaning in the age of Darwin."

Victor Frankl's positive view does appear to be a rabbit pulled out of a hat, but as a trick that many people perform to their own satisfaction. So is it an illusion, or real piece of magic that I just have not learned to perform?

spacemonkey: what is the evolving gene book about?




about the meaning of life, it doesn't have to be something huge that covers-all-in-my-whole-life.

I think that what he tried to say is that you find a meaning in life through the little
parts of your life.

For example, for me, today, is to deliver some design to my university and to send
a resume, so that's it.

I also have some mid-term "meanings" or actions in my life, like:

- try to be one of the best graphic designers in mexico (well, let's change that to my state )
- (maybe) move to Canada after I graduate
- shave

so, to me, meaning means responsibility, or something very related.

The Evolving Self was a look at the human race, where we have come from and where we are going.
He refers to Dawkins' idea that we are just machines for the propogation of genes.
Then he points out problems like how our genes tell us to get as much sugar and fat and whatnot as we can. He also explores things we can do to help the global situation.
Sorry this is so vague, I read it about 8 years ago.

here's the amazon page http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006016 ... e&n=283155

"Flow" is a study of optimal experience. He observes the state of mind of people who are performing at their peak, such as skilled artists, or atheletes. The conclusion is that there is a balance between challenge and competence, that satisfies something basic to our nature. It's really what zen is all about.

Yeah I read it, for an existential psych class actually.
I thought it made some very good points in some places, particularly
in describing the "sunday malaise" where everyone is so busy then the weekend
comes and they realize how little meanign their life actually has because they have nothing to do

but it didnt really solve anything for me or help me, just explained some problems better

Kate