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Motivational Force In Man's Search For Meaning

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In our modern day, global tragedies occur often, however genocide is becoming very rare. One example that we all know of and will never forget for many years is during World War II when millions of Jews were slaughtered in death camps. The main causes of death were illness, beatings from Capo guards, or being gassed in a locked chamber. Leading to these innocent deaths, the prisoners were fed very little watered down soup once a day. There is no possible way for us to imagine the stress, torture, and pain every one of those people had to go through. The closest we have been to these horrors within the camp gates are through stories told from camp survivors. Victor E. Fankl is a German physiatrist who was taken from his home and family then placed to work at a Nazi prison. …show more content…

Frankl wrote “Man’s Search for Meaning”, a book that explains life in the prison camps, but also describing the human state of mind when put under such stress and pressure. He then helped create logotherapy. The word logotherapy derives from the Greek word ‘Logos’ which translates to ‘meaning’. His theory of human psychology was that, “Man’s primary motivational force is his search for meaning.” Through Dr. Frankl’s autobiography, “Man’s Search for Meaning” …show more content…

Widening your perspective on life helps one understand what his or her true meaning is. In this story shock, emotional death, and liberation were the three stages of psychology that every person who survived the Nazi death camps, all of which are curable with logotherapy. Dr. Frankl’s theory has worked, is working, and will work for many generations to come. He has done his part, now we must do ours by looking at life from another angle. Our job is to find our own meaning, whether it is a person, place, thing, or ideas, we all deserve to live life with a

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