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  • Essay / Viktor Frankl and his theory of logotherapy - 1202

    In September 1942, Viktor Frankl was arrested in Vienna and taken to one of the many Nazi extermination camps. Frankl was working on a manuscript that was confiscated from him during a move to Auschwitz. In this manuscript entitled The Doctor and the Soul, Frankl had begun his work on a theory he would later call logotherapy. The term logotherapy is derived from the Greek word logos, which means sense. According to logotherapy, the search for meaning in one's life is man's main motivating force (Frankl 121). Frankl's theory and therapy were generated and developed through his experiences in the concentration camps. While held in the death camps, Frankl began observing his fellow inmates. He paid particular attention to the prisoners who survived and those who did not. Frankl concluded that those who felt they had meaning in life, such as hope of seeing loved ones back home, unfinished business, or great faith, had a better chance of survival than those who had no hope. This quickly became the basis of his theory. Frankl extrapolated that the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche was right when he said: “He who has a why to live can endure almost any how.” » (Frankl 126). Once released in April 1945, Viktor Frankl set to work reconstructing the manuscript he had lost. He began to further develop his idea of ​​logotherapy. This idea is based on three philosophical and psychological components: freedom of will, the will to meaning and the meaning of life. Freedom of will, according to logotherapy, means that humans possess freedom of choice and are not entirely subject to their conditions. The will to meaning not only means that humans have freedom of choice, but also the ability to achieve their goals on a piece of paper......and what to do with their newfound free time. Boredom ultimately leads to existential emptiness and has been shown to be an underlying factor in depression, aggression, and addiction. Throughout Viktor Frankl's life and struggles, he discovered and developed his theory of logotherapy. Frankl has helped many patients find meaning in their lives by having them create work, find the meaning of love, or find the meaning of desperate suffering. He helped people discover them using different techniques such as paradoxical intention, dereflection or Socratic dialogue. Thus, choosing your attitude in all circumstances allows you to choose your path. This saying, if a man does not find meaning in his suffering, then it is easy for him to lose hope or faith. According to Viktor Frankl, man's deepest desire is to seek meaning and purpose in his life...