Finding Meaning

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As Jews, the first search for meaning that we encounter in the Torah is, coincidentally, the story of the first convert to Judaism; Abraham, who was called upon by G-d to journey with his wife to a foreign land. G-d told Abraham: “Lech Lecha! Go for yourself from your land.”

Abraham was able act upon the instruction from G-d not only because he had faith in G-d’s guidance, but also, more importantly, he trusted that he now had a vision and a purpose in life. So no matter how difficult or dangerous the journey might be, it would be worth the struggles and difficulties that lay ahead.

Individuals are frequently strongly motivated to be able to understand the nature of their personal existence, and want it to be significant and purposeful, however, the great psychiatrist Viktor Frankl actually warned against searching for meaning in life, because not actively searching for meaning may be the best...

In 1942, Viktor Frankl, his wife, and parents were deported by the Nazi regime to the Theresienstadt Ghetto. Due to the inhumane conditions in the ghetto, Frankl’s father died of pneumonia 6 months later.

A year later, Frankl and his wife were transported to the Auschwitz death camp, where more than a million people would eventually be murdered - including his mother and his brother; Frankl’s wife, Tilly, died at Bergen-Belsen.

Over the course of three years, Frankl was moved between four concentration camps, until his liberation in 1945. He discovered that the only surviving member of his family was his sister, who had emigrated to Australia.

During his ordeal in the camps, Frankl developed a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. He found that the only way he could maintain his sanity – and thus survive - was to hold firmly to a sense of meaning and purpose. Even though he was imprisoned in extreme and dehumanizing physical circumstances, Frankl clung to the idea that life could still have meaning, and that suffering could still have a purpose.

While acting as a physician and psychiatrist to his fellow inmates, he addressed their despondency - making efforts to prevent suicide attempts through encouraging them to reflect on positive memories, scenes, and thoughts; thus both he and they were able to cope, with renewed purpose.

Frankl used his experiences in the camps to develop his theory of logotherapy, (literally, meaning-healing), sometimes referred to as the “Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy.” He concluded that although we cannot avoid suffering, a person has an ability to escape through his or her spiritual self, as a means to survive.

He often quoted the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who wrote, “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” In other words, all people must find their own, unique ‘why’ – that is, their purpose in life.

In Frankl’s reflections upon his love for his wife, is painfully apparent in this passage from his book, ‘Man’s search for Meaning’:

“We stumbled on in the darkness. . . . The accompanying guards kept shouting at us and driving us with the butts of their rifles. . . . Hiding his mouth behind his upturned collar, the man marching next to me whispered suddenly: “If our wives could see us now! I do hope they are better off in their camps and don't know what is happening to us.” That brought thoughts of my own wife to mind . . . my mind clung to my wife's image, imagining it with an uncanny acuteness. I heard her answering me, saw her smile, her frank and encouraging look. . . . I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved.”

Following on from Frankl’s writings, psychological work on the significance of searching for meaning in life increased dramatically. Roy Baumeister argued that for individuals, finding meaning in life is essentially about the struggle to identify purpose and value in what they do, their level of control, and feelings of self-worth.

Erik Erikson’s theories centred on psychosocial development, exploring how social interaction and relationships play a role in the development and growth of human beings.

He viewed the search for meaning, as the struggle to review past life experiences, and relate them to the ‘Big Picture.’

Abraham’s story resonates with us, encouraging us to take risks to pursue our purpose in life - and thus find meaning.

Lech Lecha offers reassurance that if we listen to the inner voices of our spiritual selves, we have the ability and strength to discover previously unknown potential and meaning.

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