Friday, August 30, 2019
Preach Viktor!
Begin your blog with a quote from Viktor Frankl's A Man's Search for Meaning. How does this quote embody the truth, goodness and beauty of the work? Tell us how Frankl developed his argument and how he, ultimately, survived. Apply Viktor Frankl's argument about finding meaning to the life of a teenager in 2019.
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ReplyDelete“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how,’” Wrote Viktor Frankel in his book, Man’s Search For Meaning, alluding to an older work by Nietzsche. This quote embodies the truth, the good, and the beauty found in his work. Frankl develops his argument by establishing a strong ethos, pathos, and logos; these attributes ultimately lead to his survival, as well.
Frankl’s recollection of Nietzsch’s profound statement brings validation and truth to his words. What he says just makes common sense, the audience just hasn’t heard anyone say it before. The good in his work is also manifested here, as we see that the writer’s purpose is to show the audience that there is a path to overcoming suffering, that even in a situation like Viktor’s, one can make meaning by simply understanding that his or her life is defined not by its current state, but its end goal, its ‘why.’ Not only is that good, it is truly beautiful. That Viktor not only transformed his suffering into a beautiful, meaningful lesson, he is giving us, his audience, the tools to do that very thing ourselves. He effectively does this by making a fantastic argument.
Frankl develops a strong ethos by establishing his background as a psychotherapist, and incorporating his founding and experience in logotherapy into the stories he tells of the concentration camps. Through establishing this ethos, he opens the audience to receive his pathetic argument, his suffering and loss through the camps. The starvation, the beatings, the illness, the extensive labor. It puts the reader in a sympathetic mindset. This preparation of our minds is perfectly coupled with his logical argument. Not only does he make logical assumptions and conclusions, he brings his audience along with him, using pathetic imagery to compel us to enact his strategies in our own lives.
Frankel’s ethos and logos revolve around his background in psychotherapy. This background allowed him to digest everything that was happening in the camps, while they were happening. His experiences contributed to the mindset that ultimately saved his life: that a man’s meaning is created in life, that it is his responsibility to inject his life with a purpose, and if that life was ever worth living, it was worth living at the darkest moment.
So how do we apply viktor’s story to our own lives, as teens today? Well, I’ve been through the process. First reading this book over a year ago, it helped me immensely. It allowed me to inject meaning into my life, to understand that suffering can be used to shape us into better people. How? What is the practical application? Stop watching life go by, without ever thinking about your ‘why.’ Don’t be passive. When we simply go with the flow of modern life, we allow our lack of meaning to not matter when life is good(or tolerable), and when life gets hard, we tend to give up, to complain, to throw a fit. Happiness is fleeting, meaning is constant. We are all so distracted in life by how ‘happy’ everyone else is, that it makes it impossible for us to stop and realize that happiness is a false goal. After all, Viktor also wrote, “The more you aim at [happiness] and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it.” Happiness must come as a result of our... search for meaning.
Much like Frankl’s piece of literature, this was beautifully written, John! Suffering is indeed an ugly truth to our world, but how you can dig up the gold through such an unappealing crevice is where some of the strongest and most admirable people come from. Viktor Frankl was certainly no exception to that. I appreciate the way you brought up the discussion of happiness being a momentary bliss—a short-lived experience, if you will. You are absolutely correct in how there lacks a point in worrying about how much more joy there seems to be in another person’s life, and a shortage of that joy in our own lives. I believe that Frankl backs this up with the following motivational quote from his own novel: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves,”. Perhaps it is better if one seeks to alter their current mindset, much like how Frankl avoided the fixed mindset of his fellow prisoners and adopted a growth mindset which would ultimately lead him to comb his survival instincts, and along the way gave his audience—like how you pointed out— a perspective that induced sympathy onto him from his readers, throughout the stages of his book.
Delete“Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.” ― Viktor E. Frankl. This quote reminds me of the book, A Man’s Search for Meaning, because being taken out of your home and placed into a completely new environment can drastically change a person’s outlook on life. The prisoners in the camp with Victor struggled everyday to hold onto every ounce of life. The book gave examples of events that people endured to show the process of trying to stay alive.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the book Victor explains how the people were taken and made into prisoners of the concentration camp. They lived the first few months of their new lives with hope that their freedom would soon come. The people worked tirelessly through the pain but their faith got weaker and weaker. Victor also had moments of weakness which tested his will to live. Despite the pain he was feeling, he used his skills in logotherapy to help others keep fighting. He reminded them of the things in life that they still had to live for - family. Even though they weren’t sure if their families were dead or alive, hope gave them a new drive to push through the pain.
Viktor creates an extremely strong argument by describing his career in psycotherapy. His knowledge in this field gave him the tools to help others see the meaning of life even when it was too dark for them to see it for themselves. The help he gave his friends can also be applied to our lives today. Some teenagers have stopped living life for themselves and started trying to be a more socially acceptable version. We see examples of a perfect life on social media and we think that we need to make ourselves into that kind of person. To really find meaning in our lives we need to start living authentically and surround ourselves with people who do the same.
Not living life as your true self is no way to live.
I really like the quote you chose form the book! I think it completely represents the main point of the book. I also like how you used specific examples from the book, such as talking about the prisoners families. By you doing it I think it helped developed your point that Victor used happy memories from his life to help survive. Finally, I thought that what you brought up about teenagers was really interesting. It is so true that teenagers aspire to be more socially accepted than to be themselves.
Delete“Human life, under any circumstances, never ceases to have meaning.” If a man who has endured as much soul-crushing suffering as Viktor E. Frankl can still preach a quote like this, there must be some truth to it. In a world as complex and intricate as ours, the lives of seemingly insignificant people like us can certainly feel meaningless at times. However Frankl not only reminds us, but demonstrates that all life has meaning at all times, and it’s up to each individual to find that meaning for themselves in each given moment. It’s this exact type of inspiration and beauty that has attracted millions of readers to his words.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the book, Frankl bounces back and forth between storytelling and explanations of how he was able to endure the things he speaks of. Right away, he begins the book by explicitly telling us that the book is not an account of the horrors which occurred in the camps, and while it is true that this was far from the main goal of the book, that’s not to say that he didn’t use vivid descriptions of camp life to his advantage. By telling us of the inhuman treatment which he was forced to bear, it does two things which essentially accomplish the same goal of grabbing readers’s attention and getting them to seriously believe that what he says can help them as well. Firstly, it appeals to our pathos by drawing readers in and evoking emotion at his horrible accounts of treatment, and secondly, it gives him one of the biggest ethos boosts that writing has ever witnessed. Like I said, if a man who survived Nazi concentration camps could still find meaning in his life, so can we. So how exactly did Frankl find meaning and survive? As he spent more time in these camps, he developed a profusion of ideas and philosophies which he lived by and reminded himself of constantly. One thing which he believed was, “The meaning of life varies from man to man, day to day, hour to hour.” At any given moment, life was expecting something from him. He also stated that meaning can be found in three different ways: creating work or doing a deed, experiencing something or encountering someone, or by the attitude we chose towards unavoidable suffering. The last of these three, the ability to choose your attitude in any circumstance, is what Frankl called “the last of human freedoms,” and it was how he found meaning in the camps. In fact, he stated that, “Suffering ceases to be suffering the moment it finds meaning.” That was how he found the strength to stay on his feet through all the pain and hardships. He believed that suffering and the way in which we suffer is a test of ones inner-strength, and if one does not give up, it adds deeper meaning to our lives. In other words, what didn’t kill him, made him stronger. He lived out all of these values and constantly found meaning in his suffering, and as result, he lived to tell the tale.
Of course, that’s all great, but how does it apply to teenagers in today’s world? Imagine if teenagers didn’t go to high school, didn’t play sports, and never did anything that challenged them beyond their comfort. Not only would the entire generation end up being unless, but it would doom the world as well. Rather, we do these things because in the end, the suffering and the challenges are worth the reward, and there are times when we must remind ourselves of this. Just like Frankl said, God is expecting something different from each one of us, and as unique human beings, no one else can fill another’s shoes. By doing good deeds, exemplifying Christ as well as seeing Him in others, and offering our sufferings to Him, teenagers can apply Frankl’s principles in a way that allows them to find the true meaning of their lives: getting to heaven.
This was really good, Joe! I really liked your points about the relationships between Viktor, his words, and his audience. Your breakdown on the way he wrote and why he did so really showed how much he was able to accomplish with the power of rhetoric. Also, I completely agree with all you are saying about incorporating this mindset into the teenagers of today. Keeping a good attitude and a desire to make the most of our incredibly meaningful lives are so important. These are the ways in which we can shape our futures.
Delete“ A man who for years had thought he had reached the absolute limit of all possible suffering now doing that suffering has no limits, and that he could suffer still more intensely”- Victor E. Frankl. This quote seems to embody that even if life seems hard now, it could become even more difficult and you must find a way to work through the pain. However, a few paragraphs later in his work, Victor states “ As the day of his liberation eventually came, when everything seemed to him like a beautiful dream, so also the day comes when all his camp experiences seem to him nothing but a nightmare”. This quote shows that that even if your suffering becomes more and more intense, the pain will eventually fade and you will be proud of yourself for managing it. I believe these two quotes highlight the truth, beauty, goodness of this work because it relates to Victor’s main claim that all pain is manageable through logo therapy.
ReplyDeleteThese quotes show the truth of how victor developed his argument. In the first moments of the book, when Victor first entered the camp he was not aware of how terrible his time would get. For example, when he first got there, the guards striped him and his fellow prisoners of their clothes and everything that identified them as human beings, which Victor thought was bad. However, as he stayed there his time and treatment there mentally and physically got worse and worse. These quotes also help develop his argument of truth because they make it clear that he is a professional in therapy, which helps establish his ethos of someone who has authority and they can trust. These quotes also show the goodness and beauty of victors work because they make you feel emotions of pity, going with the first quote, and hopefulness, going with the second quote. These emotions that come through these moments in the book give his already strong argument a pathos.
Stepping back from the books helpfulness in staying positive and mentally stable in tough times, it also relates to teenagers needs. Many teenagers face times in high school where they believe the difficult times will never end and they will always have to work with toxic people. These dark moments can make teenagers want to end their life and not have to deal with the pain anymore. However, using victors arguments of logo therapy helping with these thoughts, teenagers can get hope. They can also get hope by seeing that even with Victor facing inhuman treatments and suffering endlessly he still made something of himself and has a good career. Overall, teenagers, and really anyone who takes advice from this book, must keep in mind that the tough times will come to an end and they must think of them as a dream so they can block it out and stay optimistic!
I definitely see where you are coming from with talking about the suffering. The prisoners had to go through so much and every day seemed to get worse. It was hard to read and see how they were getting weaker and weaker but the abuse never stopped. I also agree with your paragraph about teens and how we can use logotherapy and advice from the book in our own lives.
Delete"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way." - Viktor E. Frankl. This quote shows the meaningfulness of Mr. Frankl’s work. Everything was taken from him and he had to endure a torturous experience in Nazi concentration camps. This quote rings especially true for Frankl because he never loses sight of the importance of life.
ReplyDeleteViktor Frankl shares a vivid story of how people of difference were treated at a rather recent time in history. We learn how people were taken into and treated in concentration camps. In his book, Frankl refers to the way people were treated as "camp life." "Camp life" consisted of being beaten, starved, humiliated, and much more. It’s scary to think how people in these camps grew so accustomed to their treatment that it was expected. These people were stripped of and taken away from everything they loved. The only thing prisoners had was a uniform, and rarely, a will to live.
Frankl was a psychiatrist and even used and basically developed logotherapy. It’s easy to see throughout the book that Frankl has an elevated understanding of the situation. He introspectively observes "camp life" and shares his comments in a reserved fashion. His survival and overall retention of his sanity is due to him using logotherapy. He knew he needed to make it out alive and he did.
A part of this book that struck a chord was prisoner’s hope to see the day they would be free and watch that hope fade away. This is where people lost all meaning and hope for life, but Frankl didn’t. I think this quote shows that Frankl knew he would waste away if he didn’t find meaning in all of this hardship. I hold a lot of respect for Viktor Frankl, his words carry such a weight and prove that meaning can be found in any situation no matter the severity.
We live in a world where, especially for teenagers, view on life is very tarnished. Teens are living off of and making choices based on the thoughts of others. This brings about hardships and the inability to see self worth. Working Frankl’s words into your life and interpreting them deeper can eliminate the tough times. Everyone’s life has a definite meaning and although a situation is tough, the rain will pass. Frankl’s incredible story proves that no matter what type of adversity you face, life never loses it’s precious meaning.
I agree with you on the point that Victor's background in logotherapy allowed him to process life in the concentration camp. He was able to hold on to the meaning of life until the day he was free. Also, your statement about teenagers today living their life based on others thoughts is something that is very true.
Delete“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms- to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Victor E. Frankl wrote of this quote in his text that values meaning in a whole new aspect. We can take away from his writing the amazing mind of Victor Frankl despite having all odds against him in the concentration camps. Through the use of rhetoric skill, Victor is able to show the beauty, goodness, and truth that his argument possesses. No matter what the circumstances are, we will always have the chance to find light in the darkest moments, just like this heroic man once did many years ago.
ReplyDeleteVictor endured the worst conditions known to man. He was brutally put to manual labor with high risks of being executed at any given moment. He was separated from all he had, besides his own mind. Though this was all he had, in the end, this is all he really needed. Victor was able to use rhetoric and manipulate the pathos aspect of his audience by pursuing the audience to change the way they see things in the world. He challenges us as the audience to find meaning in the trials of our everyday lives. Another aspect of rhetoric that Frankl feeds on is his ethos, giving him credibility, saying how he was a therapist, and giving the reader a sense of trust, that what this man is teaching really can be correct, as he would be the person to know. All of this helps to relate back to the main idea: Rhetoric helped Victor to form his argument, thus helping to tie together the main aspects of the book, and, moreover, helping hm survive the wretched camps.
“A Man’s Search for Meaning” embodies beauty, truth, and goodness throughout the whole text. Obviously, if one man can find meaning in his life being put in a situation that Victor was put in, there must be some sort of truth behind what Frankl is trying to teach us, as the audience. By Victor deciding willfully to stay in the camps even when he had the ability to attempt an escape to help people, shows perfectly the beauty that this text holds. Not only does it show the beauty of what Victor has to teach us, but it shows us the goodness that having meaning in one’s life can be. Once we understand the meaning behind the text like this, we can really learn how Victor portrays and shows the goodness, the truth, and the beauty in this book.
In total, how can this lesson relate to a teenager of this age? Well, being a teenager, there comes a lot of hard work, and sacrifice. This is an essential part of each persons life, because this is the time where one makes some of the biggest decisions of their life. Being a teenager that can see the meaning of what they need to do, whether that means recognizing they need to perform to the best of their ability in school to receive good grades and try to study in a prestigious school, or getting a job because it means obtaining a small amount of spending money or money that can help pay for college tuition in the future, is one of the most important features that one can have. It is quite critical to see the meaning in life at a young age, so one can prepare for the road in the future.
Victor Frankl taught of important lessons in his book “A Man’s Search for Meaning,” and showed us that in the hardest times, we must put our mind on what matter most to us, and to find the meaning from deep within.
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DeleteMark, I really enjoyed your blog post! It was very intelligent while being simple. There is a definitely a beauty in that! I also really enjoyed your reasoning as to how Viktor E. Frankls message applies to us as teenagers in 2019. It was an approach that hadn’t even crossed my mind, so I find your blog very nifty, to say the least! Great work!!
Delete(Continued) I would also have to say I agree with your idea as to how Frankls theory can apply to us as teens. Recognizing our needs and responsibilities as young adults can truly form a better “road in the future.”
DeleteViktor Frankl once wrote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing; the last of his human freedoms — to chose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to chose ones own way.” In A Mans Search for Meaning, Frankl effectively delivered a message that is almost entirely encapsulated in this quotation. Frankl shared a riveting story about how he and all the other men along side him survived — or didn’t, the hardships brought upon them. By keeping his attitude in the right place and never losing sight of the meaning and beauty of life, he lived to tell the tale.
ReplyDeleteHis credibility played a large role in his development of this argument. He established the fact that he was a psychologist, and based on his words and observations throughout the text, it became clear that he was a good one. He made his audience feel sympathetic towards him, but not excessively. He shared his hardships in a way that the average person could relate to, even though most people will never have to endure the trauma that he did. He offered the techniques he used in a way that is appealing to everybody, not just those in a concentration camp. His ability to see good and meaningfulness through unimaginable terror can be credited to his survival in the end.
Viktor’s argument can and should be applied to the life of most teenagers now in 2019. With all of the immoral and dangerous activities the media labels as normal and glamorous, it is so incredibly easy to get lost in the shuffle. It takes a strong mindset to see through all of this, and see the true meaning of our existence. Without careful deliberation and consideration of our attitudes, our lives can take tragic turns. Viktor Frankl’s lesson is so important, and something everyone can learn from.
I like the way that you explained Frankl breaking down his suffering in a way everyone could understand, even if they never come close to experiencing what he did. I also liked the perspective on how media is affecting teenagers. It is very true that it is difficult to do what is right when so many people are saying that what is wrong is actually okay.
Delete“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.” writes Viktor E. Frankl. In his book, A Mans Search for Meaning, Frankl delves into answering the age-old question, what is the meaning of life? He tells his audience how life has beauty in both its ups and downs. Frankl develops his argument by using striking, real life accounts and rhetorical techniques, while tying it all together with his knowledge on logotherapy.
ReplyDeleteLife can be a whirlwind filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. In those “lows,” however, man has two choices: let the tribulations break us down or find the meaning in the difficulties and push through the situation. Viktor E. Frankl displays this message to his audience throughout A Mans Search for Meaning. The quote, as previously stated, on finding the courage to suffer summarizes Frankls crux perfectly. It ultimately manifests the truth, goodness and beauty of his work. The stunning truth of life, in which Frankl tells his audience, can be found in suffering. As bizarre as this may sound, he explains his theory by using his own survival story. While being in a concentration camp during one of our history’s darkest times, Frankl believes to have found the meaning in suffering, which in turn is the meaning of life as a whole.
Frankl was one of the few survivors of the Holocaust during World War II. Throughout this most troubling time, he believes he was able to survive all by changing his mindset. The absurdity of his statement is great, but his argument to prove this is profound. Frankl describes that when the times got incredibly difficult or conditions became extremely harsh, many people seemed to give up hope. Soon after, he found that they had passed away. He began noticing this trend that when one loses hope they loose everything, including their life. This suffering was able to drag people down if they did not rise above it. Frankl, on the other hand, did not lose hope. He continued to “push through the pain” by keeping a relatively positive mindset, considering the situation. Frankl was able to say that, conclusively, understanding suffering can make or break a person. When we understand that suffering has meaning and purpose, we can find the purpose of our own lives.
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ReplyDeleteAs a professional logotherapist, Frankl cures patients by changing their mindset. Naturally, he uses logos in his book to convince his readers of his message. Frankl also uses pathos by telling the audience of his difficult times in the concentration camp. By using these techniques, he is able to appeal to his readers sense of both logic and emotion. Thus, Frankl is able to fully satisfy his audience as to why, we as humans need to see the purpose in suffering.
Why exactly are we here? What is my purpose? These are questions many of us have surely asked ourselves. Viktor E Frankl’s theory that we must find meaning in life through suffering could be the answer to these questions. His concept can, and should, be applied to our lives as teens living in the 21st century. Being a teen is confusing. It is the age in which we are all struggling to find who we are as individuals. On top of trying to find our individuality, however, all people strive to find meaning in their lives. Now, although Frankls struggles are much greater than any struggles we as teens may be facing today, it does not mean they are not struggles. Teens may be suffering with mental illnesses such as depression or anxiety. We may being going through something less traumatic, such as a breakup. Nevertheless, suffering can come in many different forms. Although, when we put Frankls ideas to use and really think about why we are suffering, it can help us immensely in answering those life questions. Suffering, in any form, has a purpose. If and when we find that purpose we can be enlightened to the fact that we were made to suffer. We were made for everything; to laugh, to love, to cry, to dance. But we must understand life is full of both happy and hurt. Viktor E. Frankl, tells us that to endure anything thrown our way, we must believe that there is purpose in that hurt. When we come to this understanding, teens may find fulfillment and the utmost beauty in their lives.
Olivia, this was a well written and thoroughly thought out evaluation! I agree with you when you said how Victor was able to survive the camps with his own mindset. This is a lesson we can all learn from! I agree that we can find meaning through suffering, that is such a good point. Good work!
Delete“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” Pulled from Viktor Frankl’s “A Man’s Search for Meaning”, this quote is a clear example of the message that Viktor was trying to convey. This quote embodies truth because the prisoners could not do anything about their situation. They were imprisoned and forced into labor, unless they chose death over their suffering. While it was inevitable that the prisoners in the concentration camps would undergo change, some prisoners handled it differently than others. Those who focused on the fact that their lives had meaning outside of their suffering lived the fullest, even if they did not survive like Frankl did. One could choose to become emotionally numb and go through the motions of the painful physical labor. While an amount of emotional numbness was necessary to get through the daily horrors of the concentration camps, prisoners could also choose to remain compassionate for the human life. These same people are the ones who sought meaning in their suffering. This quote also embodies goodness because Frankl wanted to share that we are always in control of ourselves, even if we aren’t in control of a lot. We are the only people in control of our ideas, mindsets, and beliefs. Those are the only things that cannot be taken away from us, so long as they are fought for. This quote also embodies beauty because it shows the human mind’s capability of sheer determination. Though it may have taken a lot, the prisoners were always able to see beauty through nature. On their grueling journeys to their work sites, the captives were exposed to some of nature’s finest performances. They found beauty in all of the awful things they were subjected to, just like Viktor Frankl found meaning in his life in spite of all his suffering.
ReplyDeleteViktor began his work by explaining that although there are many factual accounts of the horrors of concentration camps, he is sharing personal accounts of what he faced. This explanation alone prepares the audience to be sympathetic towards what Frankl had lived through. This use of pathos is inevitably revisited throughout the book, and is supported by Viktor’s strong ethos. He established early on that he is a psychotherapist, and therefore gave himself the authority to make the argument that he is about to. Additionally, this gave him the authority to make the evaluations he did on those around him throughout the piece. To effectively finish his argument, Frankl used logos by explaining the premises of logotherapy in ways that his audience was able to understand. Following this, Viktor talked about how we can apply logotherapy to our own lives.
Finding a deeper meaning for his life enabled Viktor to survive all the hardships he faced. By writing this work, Viktor Frankl shared an essential strategy to find our purpose in life. Teenagers especially can use Frankl’s wisdom in their lives. In all of the confusion and moral controversy in today’s society, finding a concrete meaning in one’s life is essential for a teenager who is susceptible to being pulled every which way. Frankl’s idea that the meaning to someone’s life is constantly changing, rather than being one large concept that defines the entire life, is reflected in today’s young generation. Many young people face challenges that they feel unable to handle or have never experienced anything like before. With a sense of purpose to their lives, teenagers have a much better chance at tackling their problems and gaining experience.
Love the quote Viv! I almost used this quote myself, actually. I really liked the perspective you gave on beauty in nature. I had never looked at it that way, although I feel that there was still more to see as far as beauty goes. Overall, great read!
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ReplyDeleteIn the story A Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl said, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Basically this quote states that no matter what happens in someone’s life, the outcome depends on the attitude of the person. A positive and optimistic outlook on something can affect the situation in an entirely new way. In Frankl’s book, he faced many more challenging and difficult experiences than anyone could even attempt to imagine. His way of thinking with a positive outlook changed his life and the lives of many others. This mindset ultimately saved his life. If he allowed himself to be brought down or to imagine the worst, he would’ve not taken care of himself enough to the point where he’d be killed, or he may have allowed himself to fall into a dangerous depression that resulted in suicide. This philosophy does not only pertain to one man many years ago, but also everyone today. Teenagers especially could learn and grow from this way of thinking. The teenage years are sometimes the most confusing and difficult years of a person's life. There is so much to think about, between getting good grades, athletics or clubs, extracurriculars, getting into college or going into the workforce. In addition to all of this is the added pressure of today’s society. Social media has a huge impact on the lives of teenagers. It makes it more difficult attempt to fit in or make new friends. Many kids today are constantly feeling like they aren’t good enough, athletic enough, or pretty enough and this makes a huge difference on their outlook on life. Being more positive about even the smallest things can help. Getting a compliment for someone randomly or picking up someone’s pencil can have a huge impact on someone we would otherwise overlook.
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DeleteMary, I absolutely loved the quote you used, and I could not agree more on its importance. Anyone who has read the book would certainly agree that Frankl’s outlook on the circumstances he faced were the determining factor in everything, even life and death. I was also very impressed at how many modern day teenage applications you were able to connect it to, especially because I myself could relate to many of those things.
DeleteAt one point during the mid-1940s to the late-1950s—1946 and 1959, to be exact— A Man’s Search For Meaning was published in Austria, Vienna, and the United States. With this publication came a plethora of extremely eye-catching quotes. One such quote included a phrase cited by Frankl that had a moral laced along its seams. The exact message remarked “No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might have done the same,”. Personifying the truth, goodness, and overall beauty of the novel is this quote. Frankl established a pattern of pathos and especially ethos in his story-driven argument throughout his written recollection. With these rhetorical appeals, Viktor Frankl led his audience on a vivid journey through shock, pain, suffering, death, perseverance, and—ultimately— survival.
ReplyDelete“No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might have done the same,” reflected Viktor Frankl in the long first section of his book. This sentence has a very deep meaning that could stretch and hit several endless points, however, in the context of A Man’s Search For Meaning, the literal and figurative definition is quite jarring. Frankl is alluding to the way in which prisoners within the same Nazi concentration camp as him would alter their entire personalities from kind to a bit aggressive in order to appeal to their guards and be promoted to a higher rank on the “food chain”. These people would become primitive in order to increase their chances of survival. Some prisoners would turn excessively submissive and take the verbal, physical, and mental abuse from the guards, and they would refrain from striking back or standing up for themselves. This quote in embodying the truth and logic of their situation. No one should have the right to comment on another person’s choice in this type of dire situation because they never know what they themselves would actually do in their place. Logically and instinctively, doing whatever it takes to survive, such as being submissive or putting yourself in the place of others, kinda makes sense to a person who is desperate to live. There also seems to be a lack of goodness in the quote, but that simply is not true. The goodness from these words is how humans should learn not to judge each other too harshly as they never truly know the full story. A lack of ugly opinions translated to more acceptance of others. Much in the same way as goodness, beauty also is hard to come by after peering at this quote. Perhaps it is the beauty of survival after such a long and emotional battle, which sometimes could be going one inside your own mind.
Frankl utilized nearly all three different rhetorical appeals to get his message across: pathos, logos, and ethos. Obviously, this novel centers around Frankl’s experience as a prisoner in Auschwitz, the WII German “work” camp.
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ReplyDeleteI don’t believe that Frankl is deliberately trying to make his audience feel sorry for him, but in the process of telling little tales in the midst of his huge story, he ultimately ends up using pathos as a mode of persuasion. For example, a guard had thrown Frankl to the ground and beat him with words and his own shovel one day whilst he was working. The guard made fun of Frankl and used insults like “pig” to try to demean Frankl. Frankl was more upset with the guard’s ignorance and pride than the actual beating. This caused the heart strings to be pulled, it made the myself dislike the guard and become more invested in Viktor Frankl’s survival.
There is actually a lack of logos used in A Man’s Search For Meaning. The novel is based upon the personal experiences of Viktor Frankl, and therefore, a point is not trying to be proven. He is not using the reason and logical analysis path to prove any sort of drawn out claim. However, Frankl does establish a really solid ethos. He explained his background and masters in psychotherapist. He made his authority known by doing so, this causing himself to become credible. I can now take him seriously knowing that he, as a psychotherapist, enabled his patients to understand their emotions, and what stirred up a positive, depressed, or anxious feeling within them. With this vast knowledge, Frankl was able to use his wits and survive each day. He was able to be calm in each situation and to take his experiences day by day, building up a strong mindset of growth. He knew that his experiences in life would shape into his ending purpose, which is that life is too precious to give away.
For teenagers, meaning is difficult to come by. Some seek it through religion, while others find it through experience. 2019 is one of the years of self-discovery, where people branch out and become more accepting. This is not always a good thing, as sloth and negative morals are also being thrown into the “acceptance cauldron”. It is hard to discover the correct path when there are so many to choose from. Despite all of this, it is important to remember that it matters what life anticipates from us and not what we anticipate from life. Life is not here to lend us all of the senders, so we must learn how to seek those answers for ourselves. For some it could take many years and for others it could take days. Rounding out with another quote from Mr. Frankl, “We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—daily and hourly,”. At some point, the truth will find us.