Lessons From Viktor Frankl, Author, and Survivor
Finding purpose in the pandemic
This is a challenging time for many of us. The COVID-19 pandemic has put communities at risk, left millions of workers without jobs or savings, and isolated us in unprecedented ways. And for those of us who are older or who have preexisting health problems, the danger is increased. I think of my mother who has late-stage pulmonary fibrosis, and my 88-year-old grandparents, who are already in ill health.
The danger is real, but the lesson that we can learn is that of perspective.
Our species has survived and even thrived in the aftermath of previous pandemics. The turmoil imposed by these invisible adversaries like the Spanish Flu, smallpox, and black death devastated humankind, but as a resilient species, we ultimately survived.
When it comes down to it, we have endured something much worse: our own cruelty and inhumanity to our brothers and sisters.
Recalling the work of Viktor Frankl and his life-changing book, Man’s Search For Meaning, can give us hope, insight, and perspective as we face these unknown circumstances and challenges.
Who was Viktor Frankl?
Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist and neurologist who painstakingly detailed his experiences in the Auschwitz concentration camp.
Through his observations, he found that prisoners who sought out purpose in the wake of unimaginable cruelty were far more enduring, resilient, and more likely to survive than those who did not.
Frankl was also a man of deep conviction and principles.
Despite impending danger, he made the decision to stay in Vienna to take care of his parents although he could have fled to the United States. Later, and after his visa to the U.S. expired, he was sent to Austria in 1942.
Many years later, in the preface to the 1992 edition of Man’s Search for Meaning, Frankl revisits the dilemma that he faced.
If he had immigrated to America, he could have continued to advance his thriving career. But doing so would have meant abandoning his mother and father.
The Austrian psychiatrist made the choice to embrace responsibility over opportunity.
He paid a high-price for his choice, including several years in concentration camps where he was kept alive by two dreams: to be reunited with his wife, and to continue his work.
He transported himself to a better future, a future that gave him hope.
The moment that his fellow prisoners gave up hope, he knew that they were going to die.
Many of them died of exhaustion, starvation, or disease. Those who were not assigned to slave labor were murdered in crematoria.
During this time, he fostered a “we” culture, one in which rights are balanced by responsibilities, and the well-being of the individual is balanced with the well-being of the community.
In the concentration camp, he felt it was his responsibility to look after other prisoners. He found meaning by focusing not only on his own survival, but also helping others.
During the difficult times that we are facing in the COVID-19 era, a “we” culture is more important than ever; truly we are all in this together.
Before the war, Frankl was working on a book detailing the pursuit of meaning.
When he was liberated, he finished writing Man’s Search for Meaning in nine days.
But by that time, his wife and parents had already perished under the control of the Nazis.
Frankly credits his own survival to his love for his wife, his commitment to his work, and to the meaning that he attached to his experiences.
He needed to survive the horrors of the war to bear witness and share with the world what had happened.
Man’s Search for Meaning became an inspirational best-seller, with more than 12 million copies in print. The book was translated into 24 languages.
The main idea was that, under any circumstances, people can make a choice to act with dignity and responsibility.
The evil that Frankl suffered was beyond his control, but his reactions to it were within his control. This concept gave birth to logotherapy, a system of healing through the search for meaning.
It is difficult to ascertain how many could endure what Frankl did, even with a goal, a meaning, and a purpose.
But the lesson was clear: for most of us, the choice to take responsibility for our actions must not be squandered.
Frankl took responsibility for his parents when he could have escaped. He then took care of his fellow inmates when he was close to starvation himself.
None of us can really know how we would have behaved under those conditions. Frankl might have been one in a million.
But his point was that, even under favorable conditions, people often relinquish responsibility. His message was that we have an obligation to ourselves and others, to add value and find meaning in pursuing personal and prosocial goals.
Frankl would argue that this responsibility holds regardless of the toxicity of the environment.
During the COVID-19 crisis, we each have an opportunity to exercise responsibility by looking after our own health and the well-being of our fellow community members.
Why purpose is beneficial:
Pursuing a sense of purpose is a critical element in our mental and physical health, and while it may not reverse the coronavirus, it can help to diminish the aftermath and enable a better resolution.
Frankl’s statement that “life is never made unbearable by situations, but only by a scarcity of meaning and purpose” remains important today.
Right now, as we are faced with social and physical isolation, finding purpose in the discomfort and distress can help us to help others.
Researchers have found that pursuing our purpose in life is associated with increased mental and physical health and correlates to higher levels of self-esteem, improving the way that we see ourselves and the world around us. Source
And although a sense of purpose is unique to each of us, we can support others in finding and sharing our common humanity, while we keep pressing forward together.
Undoubtedly, supporting others is a worthwhile endeavor that strengthens our species. The challenges that we are facing today, like isolation and lack of social connection, are dangers that we all face.
So how can we find passion in a purpose that protects and enlivens everyone during this period of social distancing?
Here are seven practical actions to discover purpose in the pandemic and plan for a new future:
1. Learn something new.
Deciding to learn something new gives us purpose and excitement, while bestowing an opportunity to use that knowledge to help others.
Take an online course in something you’ve always wanted to learn. Gain a new perspective by reading a new book or learn about another culture, place, or idea from the comfort of your home.
2. Write.
Writing gives us space to understand, express, and process our thoughts. You can even begin a journal to document the times of COVID-19.
3. Exercise.
Make it a daily habit just to do what you can, even in your immediate home. The health benefits are plentiful, and creating workout goals can help us look to the future with purpose and motivation.
4. Remember your blessings.
Being grateful is linked to a greater sense of purpose and an increased tendency to engage in compassionate and humanistic behaviors.
5. Stay in touch.
Send video messages, call, or write e-mails.
Make it a priority to stay connected with family, friends, and coworkers, especially if you or they are alone. This is a chance to repair and renew both old and existing relationships.
6. Volunteer to help others.
Contact community organizations to offer assistance.
You’ll not only find a sense of purpose and increased well-being, but altruistic efforts also increase the mental, physical, and emotional feelings of those being served.
7. Plan ahead.
This pandemic will eventually be controlled, so now is a chance to prepare for recovery.
Things will be different, but our species has proven to be remarkably resilient. We’ll get through this.
Undoubtedly, our days and our world are rapidly changing, but we can still choose to apply the lessons learned from Victor Frankl and get through this challenging time with meaning and purpose.
We are always in control of our response.
With great love and gratitude, Aurora