Can a book have a more philosophical title than this?
At the first glance, this book seemed to be a philosophical sermon of
some sort. But, as I started reading it I came to know about how this book is a
separate genre by itself. People at the bookstores would have had a tough time in categorizing it on their shelves.
Is it a memoir? It is a book on psychiatry? Or is it just a section of
a history book? Don’t judge a book by its cover they say and this is quite true
with this book.
This book is put together as a compilation of two broad sections. The
initial part of the book is a first person narrative of the grim untold realities
of the life in Auschwitz (one of the
most dreaded Nazi concentration camps located in the present day Poland) during
WW2. The second part is intended to introduce the readers to the concept of
logotherapy followed by a postscript on “Tragic optimism”. The manner in which the narrative blends into
this concept of psychiatry is a noteworthy characteristic of this book. Even
readers feebly associated with this field can grasp the concepts because of the
way it is put forward without abstruse jargon.
Through the narrative, Frankl goes about painting a clear picture of a
typical day in Auschwitz rather than focussing on holocausts and exterminations
(that these camps are widely known for). The hierarchy of power prevalent in
these camps, the amount of work extracted from the inmates and the hard fight
for survival is talked about in this. Many accounts of torments and daily
struggle for basics like a wholesome meal or sufficient space to sleep is
described from the eyes of an inmate.
One could feel the utmost sense of authenticity without any room for
exaggeration since the author himself was one among those inmates and has gone
through all of these. Apart from that, the sole purpose of the book was not
anywhere close to becoming a best seller or to win any literary awards. Later
in the book Frankl admits the fact that, the first edition of the book was to
be published in complete anonymity but it wasn’t so because his friends
insisted him to include his name (to give it a personal touch)
Although the narrative might sound like one of those regular memoirs of
suffering, Frankl actually presents three different mental states of a typical
inmate in these camps. Firstly, the perceptual state of shock and disbelief
about the fact that a free individual has become an inmate now (as soon as he
enters the camp). Secondly, the mental state of apathy as a result of getting
habituated to the harsh conditions and the selfish desire to stay alive (during
his life at the camp). The final stage is the emotional state of
disillusionment, depersonalization and deformation of morality (if he survives
till liberation). Frankl also analyses the psychology of the SS guards and
reasons out their sadist behaviour.
In the last part of the narrative, Frankl goes about categorising men
into two different races: “decent” race and “indecent” race. He describes the
amount of inner strength that is required to be optimistic about life and carry
out acts of kindness despite the harshest conditions.
“Everything can be taken from a
man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in
any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
The central idea of the book revolves around the fact that if you have
a strong “why” in your “life”, then “How “can be figured out somehow. With a
strong meaning for life, even sufferings would start making sense.
The second part of the book gradually introduces the readers to the
concepts of logotherapy. Logotherapy is considered the “Third Viennese School
Of Psychotherapy” and has its etymological roots to the Greek word “logos”
referring to “meaning”. Frankl describes that the urge to know the meaning of
one’s existence is one of the fundamental needs and this gives rise to the “existential frustration”. As opposed to other approaches of
psychoanalysis, logotherapy induces a state of restless or tension in the
subject. This restlessness is to enable them to know about the meaning of their
existence.
People who fail to find this meaning are said to enter a state of “existential vacuum”. He gives a
lot of examples to explain this concept and suggests this as a technique for
treating “neurosis” and “obsessive compulsive disorder”.
Personally I liked the technique of “Paradoxical Intention” the most. This is technique is nothing but
the reversal of one’s attitude to get out of a rut of thoughts or habits
(called hyper-intention) that cause distress. It involves an individual to
practise self-detachment and think
about the situation from an outsider’s perspective. This technique is well
explained by the example of a boy who was suffering from stuttering but later
found a way out of it by consciously making an attempt to stutter deliberately.
To his wonder, his stuttering stopped at that time!
After ample examples to support
his techniques, Frankl questions the approach of seeing the patients as mere
machines that have to be repaired rather looking them as a “human beings” with
a problem.
Not just this, through the post script “The case for a tragic optimism”,
he discusses the idea of finding a meaning of life and suggests some ways like
reading the biographies of people who have already found theirs in order to do
so.
There are many books that entertain while there are some that are
painful to complete. There are some that make you laugh and some that bring out
the tears. But, there are only a few books that make a lasting impact and go to
the extent of changing your perception about life. This is one such book that
has changed lives of people even generations after it was published for the
first time. Before I finish, here are a few noteworthy quotes from this book
that I would like to share for you to get a glimpse of the experience:
“Everything can be taken from a
man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in
any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
“Those
who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.”
“Between
stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose
our response. In our response lie our growth and our freedom.”
“An
abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behaviour.”
“In
some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning,
such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”
“It is
not freedom from conditions, but it is freedom to take a stand toward the
conditions.”
“For the
world is in a bad state, but everything will become still worse unless each of
us does his best.”
“A man's
concern, even his despair, over the worthwhileness of life is an existential
distress but by no means a mental disease.”
Wow…seems like you have read this all the way
till the end! You really have that in you and you deserve a reward! Get it here
now..
Rating: 4.5/ 5
