Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (Logotherapy)

Discussing Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, including Frankl's logotherapy theory and his concept of "Sunday neurosis", the modern equivalent of the Sunday scaries. This video includes analysis and direct quotes from Man's Search for Meaning, part I is set during the Holocaust.

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:10 Why You Should Read This Book
3:21 Book Preface
4:13 Part I: Experiences in a Concentration Camp
8:30 Part II: Logotherapy Explained
12:44 Self-Transcendence & Hierarchy of Needs
14:19 Existential Vacuum & America vs Europe
17:08 Sunday Scaries (Sunday Neurosis)
18:24 Book Critics (Tragic Optimism vs Toxic Positivity)
20:14 Dimensional Conjecture & One Final Quote
22:10 Outro

Dr. Viktor Emil Frankl, born in 1905, was an Austrian psychologist, author of 39 books, and survivor of the Holocaust. Man's Search for Meaning is his 1946 book detailing his personal account of his three years across four concentration camps during World War II.

Logotherapy contrasted with the driving human life philosophies/pursuits professed by historical thinkers:
Karl Marx = Economic
Sigmund Freud = Pleasure
Alfred Adler = Power
Joseph Campbell = Rapture of Being Alive
Viktor Frankl = Meaning

🚩Marx & Freud are clearly in another echelon from Adler and Campbell. I have a soft spot for Campbell though. :)

Regarding Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, I am well aware it is not the torchbearer of objective scientific theories. The precise hierarchy of needs can surely be contested, but the overarching concept is unmistakably intuitive. Some things are self evident. Try attaining enlightenment in a room without oxygen.

Sunday neurosis: “That kind of depression which afflicts people who become aware of the lack of content in their lives when the rush of the busy week is over and the void within themselves becomes manifest.” -VF

Many people now call it the "Sunday night blues" or "Sunday Scaries." Frankl would likely say these individuals haven't found their purpose or haven't ascribed their suffering to a higher meaning.

🚾 Works Cited
Frankl, Viktor E. "Man's Search for Meaning" (1946) Beacon Press. Boston, MA.

Undercover Vampire Policeman by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license.

🚨 Legal
Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes.

#sundayscaries #logotherapy #holocaust #frankl #msmf #viktorfrankl #meaning #existential #resilience #meaningoflife #motivation #suffering #wwII #adler

[Carlos.Explains]

What are some of your favorite psychology books?

[franciscoferreiracarmo]

Congratulations! Excellent video! This is one of the best books I’ve read in my life!

[Orangeemarmaladee]

The subject is heavy, but brings hope at the same time. I come back to this book every once in a while since it's so full of wisdom, and im particularly fascinated with the mind-body notion that Frankl brings forth. For example he writes: "The prisoner who had lost faith in the future-his future-was doomed. With his loss in belief in the future, he also lost his spiritual hold; he let himself decline and became subject to mental and physical decay". Frankl then goes on to describe how his block warden, a well known composer and librettist, had a dream about the date (March thirtieth) of his liberation. When March the twenty-ninth came and he was not liberated he suddenly became ill. On March the thirtieth he became dilerious, unconcious and died the same day by a latent typhus infection which according to Frankl was deadly as a consequence of his body's lowered resistance caused by a sudden loss of hope and extreme dissapointment.

I know that this example is just one example. However Frankl do say that it was a usual occurence that men who lost hope and spiritual hold tended to also decay physically and mentally. To draw a paralell to todays research we now know that mind and body are truly interconnected. For example we know that depression have the potential to cause a wide array of physical symptoms such as IBS, joint diseases, autoimmun disorders, headaches and so on. And also vice-versa, physical pain are known to affect ones psychological health.

One of my favourite books are "Brainstrong - How exercise and training improves strengthens your brain by Anders Hansen". It is a very well written and easily understood book about how relatively minor amounts of exercise betters your mental health, increases clarity, cognitive functioning, creativity, memory and so on. Worth a read. He is a well known swedish psychiatrist. Im not sure if the book exists in English.

[juliet]

Thank you so much for your content and videos!

[givemorephilosophy]

Viktor Frankl is a case study in himself and an amazing example of resilience and how it is innately embedded in the human being Soul /Life atom. I have explained this and would love to give more details if it will help.

[KayLyda]

Wow, I love videos like this; broadening my perception of reality. I prefer the style you used here not only because you're handsome but it's good to put a face to the name. Can't wait to see more from your work!

[lisasherer]

I thing your awesome in the way the hole video and what you picked to talk about ..thank you for your video

[yeniffertejeda]

Amazing video. Definitely needed it and will be picking up this book.

[kgbkuku]

Pfuu, deep into the ocean man, very nice video, there is bright future in front of you! Eye opening content!

[Grtful]

I always think of it as "sundaynight dread " meaning i have to fo back to work the next day and need more off time.. .

[namepending]

Philosophers tendency to reduce to one thing: power, sex, suffering, etc., always makes it seem like they are playing a less than honest game. The reduction serves an academic purpose and allows progress, but makes it seem less real to laypeople like myself. That said, philosophy (and psychology) seems more beneficial than “self-help”, so here I am.

[davidwyman]

Are there page numbers for the quotes? I like this format and heavy topics are welcome.

[YouMeverse]

sat(truth) chit(consciousness) ananda(bliss)-- GOD
chit(consciousness)- HUMAN (without bliss and truth)

[josieferraris]

Thank you for your research and insight you project in this video. I agree 85% that positive vibe talk is absolutely of no use for existentialism.
I wish to add that telling others they need to be positive is actually life threatening and extremely harmful to the emptiness one feels. You are right that it is better to maintain the feelings of emptiness so that one may again gain some sense of control. In leading those suffering existentialism and having them 'escape' their sense of self by chanting some positive verbiage NEVER is the most dis-compassionate guide. Looping sufferers into an up and down treadmill of changing what they are, discounts their very sense of being. Perhaps this discount and underlying rejection may be a final betrayel to one suffering. Betrayel was what Jesus says to Judas. That Judas would be better if unborn. Such was the damage to Him and all His environmental changes needed for His consumption, by same environment. Hope was hung on the cross, suffering nakedness and torture, especially His Mother, Mary. Her universal oppression and the cold, shallow dismissal of all that was good. He warned that to remove Him, replacing or reducing God, choice of a God Ball. All good was gone and the public betayel and choice of bad to replace good, lead the world into the wrong direction or path. Like the seagull in story of Noah, never finding the path back to the arc, aimlessly flying with no land for which to place the seagulls tiny feet.
Identifying the suffering, gives one a feeling of acceptance by his fellow man. Acceptance by others is the key to healing, in all mankind (including migrating 🐦) without which all mankind suffers aimlessly without a path or direction to go. Suicide seems the only recourse for these young adults. As mother Teresa warned us, no one should die alone, unwanted, and misunderstood by their very trusted and loved ones. So she picked people up off the street and fed them soup as they lay dying in her hands. Not the shallow cold concrete or mud for where their environment callously cast them.
Many thanks for your wonderful insights. Keep on the firing line, like a soldier during battle. The battle is real. ❤

[wowozer]

oof. the sound would benefit from a remastering. appreciate the tw/cn at the beginning.

[The_Maze_Is_Not_Meant_For_You]

Doesn't Campbell's ethos overlap with Frankl? Essentially, they just lived radically different early lives.

They also seem like derivations of Jung. And Heidegger