![[Book review] A Man’s Search for Meaning – Part I](https://anazarb.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/adult-art-backlit-316681-1080x675.jpg)
by Ana Zarb | Jan 28, 2019 | Reviews
A Man’s Search for Meaning was one of those books I discovered out of pure luck as I talked about on my
Instagram account. I had a written quote from the author, Viktor E. Frankl, in an old notebook of mine and one day I decided to investigate it. Good thing I did.
Turns out Frankl was an Austrian-Jewish neurologist and psychiatrist from the 20th century who was taught by the likes of Sigmund Freud and Alfred Adler. One of his biggest accomplishments career-wise was being the father of the psychotherapy school called logotherapy.
Although less popular than Freud’s psychoanalysis and Adler’s individual psychology, his method was considered one of the most influential forms of existential analysis of his time and is still until today.
In life, though, he achieved a much bigger deed: surviving three holocaust concentration camps. In fact, his study was refined during the years in the camps by observing himself and the other imprisoned men. After the liberation, he returned to the practice of medicine and the treatment of patients and, at last, he writes a piece about all his learnings.
Young Frankl in 1945
The book is divided in two parts. In the first one Frankl talks about his experiences from the camp in a quite objective way. Well, as objective as he could be all facts considered. The second part was added in the latest editions and is where he explains the concepts involved in the logotherapy analysis process. For me, both parts are captivating for different reasons. The second one, however, brought me some real life insights and has changed my way of thinking and living.
The descriptions of the camp life, in part one of the book, are pretty intense and shocking. Of course, much has already been said, written, filmed and documented about this time in history, but one can’t avoid being impressed by the new perspectives brought by such powerful testimonies.
“Those who have not gone through a similar experience can hardly conceive of the soul-destroying mental conflict and clashes of will power which a famished man experiences.”
Hunger, diseases, poor hygiene and living conditions were not the only issues, when you considerer the dreadful mind games played by the nazi guards which led to mental exhaustion and a constant state of hopelessness.
Despite all horrors inflicted upon, some men found an inner strength to keep surviving. Many of them concentrated their efforts in the hope of being reunited to their loved ones. Others, in the potential life post-camp; some recurred to humor or religion.
Whichever the strategy was, as long as one found a reason, a meaning for that situation one could at least try not giving up. As he quotes Nietzsche on this: “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how”.
Frankl then explains how we should find the meaning in everything in life, especially in suffering as it has a great potential to take us to a higher spiritual and mental levels. And that is basically the main argument of logotherapy: the search for meaning.
“The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity—even under the most difficult circumstances—to add a deeper meaning to his life.”
In this sense, human beings always have a choice to try to learn, grow and find meaning in every situation as we can always choose how to act despite all actions taken around us, for example: an imprisoned man could choose to be selfless and kind in the midst of the horror of the camps.
“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.”
And as we have a choice, we also have a responsibility.
“Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual. These tasks, and therefore the meaning of life, differ from man to man, and from moment to moment.”
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TO BE CONTINUED
41.1579438-8.6291053
by Ana Zarb | Jan 20, 2019 | Português
Mas espera aí… vocês estavam brigando?
Olha, para falar a verdade, sim. Em 2016, eu cheguei a pensar em sair de todas as redes sociais porque, na minha opinião, elas eram mais prejudiciais do que benéficas. E não, eu nunca fui o que se chamaria de “garota popular do Instagram” ou que qualquer outra rede, também nunca sofri com o uso desses aplicativos e, para ser honesta, sempre tive experiências positivas com todas as mídias que eu me envolvi. Mas, de alguma forma, eu comecei a acreditar que o mundo das selfies utilizava muito do meu tempo, era superficial e estressante.
Na época, eu estava escrevendo meu trabalho de conclusão de curso e lendo muitos artigos sobre comunicação e sociologia. Um em particular chamou muito minha atenção. Ele foi escrito por um dos meus professores de faculdade, o professor Luiz Martino, O artigo se chama “A atualidade mediática: o conceito e suas dimensões”, no qual ele define o conceito de atualidade mediática. Basicamente, se trata de uma esfera de acontecimentos sociais em que nós apenas consideramos um evento como algo que de fato aconteceu se ele tiver sido transmitido pelos meios de comunicação. Por exemplo: se um terremoto atingir o Japão neste momento e nenhum jornal falar sobre o fato, ele provavelmente ficará conhecido apenas por aquela comunidade afetada. Quando o evento passar a ser divulgado, então ele entrará nesse universo da atualidade mediática.
(Read this post in English)
Então apliquei este conceito ao uso das redes socais e é possível que eu tenha falhado, mas achei que valia a pena compartilhar a análise. E se a gente posta o que a gente posta na urgência de provar que nós fizemos o que fizemos? E se tudo o que postamos é apenas uma tentativa de tornar nossas vidas umas sucessão de eventos realmente “legais”? A cada semana, dia e hora atualizamos nossas redes na esperança de que as pessoas se lembrem de nós, que se importem com nossas opiniões e gostos, que nós achem bonitos e considerem nossas existências como algo valoroso. Ou pior, e se nós apenas postamos coisas para provar que estamos, de fato, vivendo e que, portanto nossas existências são válidas, como se se não o fizéssemos não poderíamos ser considerados reais? Eu não podia aceitar ser enganada desse jeito, para citar Walt Whitman: “I exist as I am. That’s enough“.
Estava decidida. Criei um plano para sair de todas as redes que eu participava e que agora me parece bastante impraticável: quer dizer coletar o email de todo mundo e tentar manter o contato simplesmente não ia acontecer (sim, essa era a minha ideia). Em vez disso, eu aprendi a lidar com elas de maneira a atender minhas crenças e me sentir confortável (e que é passível de mudança a qualquer momento). Algumas pessoas tem isso completamente resolvido, outras nunca chegaram a pensar sobre a questão. Em qualquer dos casos, eu não pretendo tentar te converter à minha forma de pensar, é apenas uma perspectiva. Você ê livre para fazer o que quiser. Seja feliz!
Chega de conversinha… Isso foi o que eu aprendi até agora por experiência e por tentativa e erro:
- Os seguidores e os likes, as postagens e as intenções:
Os seguidores, as curtidas, os compartilhamentos… Essas são as necessidades instantâneas da maioria delas. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube… Com seus diferentes mecanismos, elas pretendem, no final das contas, nos encorajar a esperar essas reações. Eu não preciso falar sobre as consequências dessa dinâmica, para isso já existem vários artigos científicos e não científicos a respeito.
A ascensão dos influenciadores digitais, principalmente no Instagram, impactou profundamente essa “necessidade”. O fato dessas pessoas terem sido antes “pessoas como nós” nos fez acreditar, não apenas que poderíamos viver como eles, mas que deveríamos. Eles se tornaram o padrão, o modelo a ser seguido. E todo o respeito aqueles que estão buscando construir uma imagem ou carreira com as redes sociais. Eu? Eu não estava. Então por que me importava com a quantidade de pessoas que eu não conhecia que estava curtido minhas fotos? Por isso resolvi tornar todas minhas redes sociais privadas e restritas apenas as pessoas que eu conhecia.
Também comecei a me questionar o porquê de eu postar o que eu postava. Toda vez. Tanto que virou um hábito. Claro, eu ainda “espero” a reação das pessoas dentro do meu círculo social, mas eu sei que menos pessoas significa menos reações e mesmo que eu recebesse poucas e ou nenhuma eu ficaria bem porque sabia o motivo que me fez publicar algo novo. Eu passei a entender minhas intenções ao compartilhar e expor qualquer evento da minha vida. Fosse uma ótima foto ou um filme interessante que eu assisti, se o motivo estiver claro para mim eu compartilho.
Por fim, comecei a observar mais atentamente quem eu seguia e me deixava ser influenciada, porque não se trata apenas do uso, mas também do consumo das redes sociais. Eu ainda acompanho algumas celebridades, que possuem mensagens positivas e um conteúdo fresco. Com o tempo que me sobrou busquei e busco fazer qualquer coisa que seja produtiva.
E você, como utiliza as redes sociais? Já pensou sobre essas coisas?
Até a próxima,
Ana.
[Relançamento do texto de 10/07/2017]
by Ana Zarb | Jan 20, 2019 | Inspiration
Wait… were you guys fighting?
Well, as a matter of fact, we were. Last year, I even thought of quitting all social media because, in my opinion, it was more harmful than it was beneficial. And no, I have never been what you can call “a popular girl of Instagram” or any other network, also I haven’t suffered in consequence of it (as many Instagrammers have) and, to be honest, I have had positive experiences with all the social media I was involved with. But, somehow, I began to believe the self(ie) world was very time consuming, superficial, and stressful.
At the time, I was writing my final paper for Uni and I was reading so much Sociology and Communications articles. One, in particular, caught my attention, which was written by Professor Luiz Martino. In his piece, in Portuguese called “A atualidade mediática: o conceito e suas dimensões” ( I don’t know if there is an English version), he defines the concept of atualidade mediática which I will freely translate here as “mediatic actuality”. It is a sphere of social happenings that we only consider an event as a fact if transmitted by the means of communication. For example: if an earthquake reaches Japan right now and no news media talk about it, the event would probably stay known only within that affected community. When the event gets broadcasted then it enters the circle of the mediatic actuality.
(Leia este texto em Português)
I’ve managed to apply this concept to the usage of social media and it is possible I have failed miserably, but I still think it is worth sharing. What if we post what we post in the urge to prove that we have done the things we have done? What if everything we post is only an attempt of turning our lives into a succession of really “cool” events? Weekly, daily, hourly we update our social network in the hope people still remember us, in the hope people care about our opinions or what we like, in the hope they think we are pretty and highly consider our existence. Or worse, what if we only post things to prove we are living so that we validate our existence as if we didn’t do all that work we would simply not be “real”? I couldn’t accept to be “played” like that, to quote Walt Whitman: “I exist as I am. That is enough”.
I was decided. I made up a whole plan on how to quite it all which now seems very impractical: I mean, collect everybody’s email and try to stay in touch just was not going to happen (yes, it was my idea). Instead, I’ve learned how to deal with social media, in a way that attends my beliefs and also makes me feel comfortable (an approach that can change anytime). Some people have this all figured others have never really thought about it. In any case, by no means I am trying to convert you to my way of thinking, it’s just a perspective. You are free to do whatever you want. Be happy!
Enough small talk… This is what I learned so far from my experience and by trial and error:
- The followers and the likes, the posts and the intentions
The followers, the likes, the shares… These are the instant needs of most of them. Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube… With their different mechanisms, they ultimately encourage us to expect these reactions. I don’t need to say about some consequences of this dynamic, for that you have many scientific and non-scientific articles.
The rise of the digital influencers, and here I mean mainly on Instagram, have had a profound and special impact in this “necessity”. The fact these people were once “people like us” somehow made us believe, not only we could live like them, but that we should. They’ve become the pattern, the model to be followed. And all the respect for those who are trying to build an image or a career with social media. Me? I was not. Why was I caring about the number of people I don’t know that was liking my pictures? So, to solve that I made all my social media private and restricted to the people I know only.
Also, I started to question why I was posting what I was posting. Every time. So much it became a habit. Of course, I still “expect” the reaction of the people within my social circle, but I know with fewer people comes fewer likes and shares, etc. And even if I receive few likes or none at all on a picture I liked I would be okay because I know what made me post it. I began to understand my intentions in sharing and exposing any event in my life. Whether I thought it was a great picture or an interesting movie I’ve seen if I thought it was worth sharing I did it.
Last, but not least, I became way more observant of who I was following and letting influence me. It’s not only about the usage of social media, but it has a lot to do with its consumption as well. I keep following some celebrities, those who have fulfilling messages and refreshing content. With the time I have leftover I just go do anything… literally anything productive!
And you, how do you use social media? Have you ever thought about these things? Let me know!
See you,
Ana.
[Relaunched post from July 10, 2017]
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