"Man's Search for Meaning," by Viktor Frankl, is the story and journey of a man being held in an Auschwitz concentration camp. The author explains how the mindset of a man can alter the longevity of their life and how they go about living it. The book poses the question, "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Frankl uses a psyhcotherapeutic method that involved identifying a positive purpose or goal and then actively imagining how one could achieve it. He believed that the mind had more impact on one's life, rather than physical experiences or ailments. He summarizes that a prisoner goes through three stages while part of a concentration camp: they experience shock when first entering the compound, then apathy which motivates them to act in ways that only keep themselves and their friends alive, and finally the loss of morality or personality which leads to delusions of liberation or survival.
But Frankl does support the notion that there is value in suffering. It can teach you that regardless of the condition of your life, a person must maintain a look on the future, in order to survive the present. In the simplest terms, suffering allows a person to hope, which is an extremely powerful and inspirational force in the right circumstances.
In King Lear, the suffering Lear experiences leads him to realize his past follies and acquire a sense of empathy and remorse. He would not have fought against his evil daughters or repaired his relationship with Cordelia if he had not experienced a sense of dread and sorrow. Even though he died, he finished his last few hours with his daughter who he truly loved, and who loved him back.
I really like this analysis! I do agree that suffering has merit, and this is important because it gives us the power of hope and purpose. I think we often underestimate the strength of the human mind in its ability to go beyond physical circumstances.
ReplyDelete