Notes on Viktor Frankl’s book
Nietzsche: “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” The why is our meaning, and will generally take the form of a self-selected goal that we must struggle to attain. And for the sake of our mental well-being, we usually do need struggle, not tensionless equilibrium.
Logotherapy’s imperative: “Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!”
“Self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence.” To actualize ourselves, we must forget ourselves (by living for something beyond ourselves). Logotherapy suggests that we can find our meaning, that “beyond,” through one of three avenues:
“Fear brings about that which one is afraid of, and […] hyper-intention makes impossible what one wishes.” Thus, paradoxical intention: to overcome a phobia, hyper-intend the object of the fear so that it will not come to pass. In other words, strive for the opposite of what you would naturally strive for. As an example from the book, say you have a fear of sleeplessness, which causes you to try really hard to fall asleep (to no avail). Now, instead of trying really hard to fall asleep, you should try really hard to stay awake. Then you will fail to stay awake, and therefore fall asleep. :) Ridicule your obsessions by dealing with them in an ironical way.
“Meaning” is a cure for depression, aggression, and addiction.