Viktor Frankl's Call to Action

In Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning he states, “Live as if you were already living for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now” (Frankl 109). Here Viktor Frankl implies that all actions are not finalized and that an objective stance is necessary to freely create meaning in one’s life. Thus, the Categorical Imperative of Frankl’s statement would read, “Everyone must act ‘only’ with full view and understanding of one’s actions.” This could be said to mean, live life as though you wouldn’t change what you are doing right now because you are ‘capable’ of doing so. Viktor Frankl’s moral implications supporting this can be broken into three particulars: active involvement, meaningful experiences, and our attitude towards our actions and the actions of others in our lives.

The first meaningful action in one’s life is that of actively assisting others, and it could be said that by helping others we in turn help ourselves. We can find great purpose, not necessarily living vicariously though other peoples’ joy, but from the reward that we have given purpose to something in our lives. According to Kant’s Duty Ethics “nothing was good in itself except a good will…and to act accordingly regardless of interests or consequences.” There is no problem in acting selflessly providing that we have analyzed the action to ensure that it is good or moral. However, if we were to look at our morality objectively we would see that our individual experiences are also important to our involvement with others.

Everyone experiences the same thing in different ways because of the way their actions relate. It is these experiences that give meaning to our lives. Our experiences come from the past and we can choose whether or not we learn from them. It is imperative that we understand what we have experienced so that it is applicable to our lives. The people we choose to experience our lives with will also have an effect on how we will understand our meaning. It is through experience with others that ultimately shapes our attitude towards everything.

With this in mind, people must understand that they cannot choose what happens to them and they only have control over their attitude in a given situation. This is the freedom to choose or the will to choose, not if an action happens, but how the action will affect us. We could certainly choose to give up on life in a state of extreme despair. That is our choice. We could also choose to blame others for our actions or lack there of. Conversely, we could also step back or step outside ourselves and, with a full experienced understanding, choose to progress in any direction. This is the strength of free will because it is the one thing we have power over—choice, not about everything, but over our actions and our reactions. The question remains then will we choose to act with the full understanding of our actions?

So now, according to Viktor Frankl we have a system to work with. We do the work, we have the involvement, we are experienced, and we are free to choose how we act. We thus haven’t a reason why we cannot shape our own lives. We haven’t a reason why our meaning to live cannot be right now what it would be in the future. What good is it to work towards a goal if we can’t reach that goal right now? What good is it to act on something if we don’t even know why we are acting? We have the ability to analyze our lives right now and decide what our next action will be and whether or not it is the right one. What is our excuse to not do it right?

-J-

On Dreams....

During one of the psychology courses I attended in college, we were required to submit a mock-interview about our views on dreams.  There was a whole section on dream theory actually because it seems to be a topic that leaves explanations unsatisfactory for many.  This was the result of my interview....

Several different theories for why we dream are proposed.　Answer the following questions and provide support for your answers.　


Why do you think we dream?　Dreams are by-products of guilt and psychological scars from traumas/experiences we‘ve had. I think we dream because our inclinations about how we have dealt with our problems and fears remain unsatisfactory. This brings certain unresolved internal issues to the surface.  This goes equally for so-called "happy dreams" wherein our experiences appear to be fulfilling in some way.  I believe that even in those happiest moments we are guilty of something--letting go of someone/something, insecurities about our sexuality, not having enough time in our lives.

What meaning do dreams have in your life? They are the basis for most of my reflective thoughts. I tend to write from my imagination and dreams more than from my actual experiences. Nightmares tend to be extremely inspiring to write on because they deal with some amount of underlying fears. So their meaning tends to be that of inspiration and reflection of guilt and leads me to question if I am dealing with aspects of my life effectively.

Do you believe in dream interpretation? Yes. I believe that every part of a dream is symbolic of some form of unresolved issue within our psyche. I think that the very nature of objects in dreams signifies that we are attempting to personify our thoughts and impulses.

Do you believe that dreams can predict the future?Not in the actual prediction of future events, no.

Why or why not? Well, I think that dreams can give us incentives to try to change the outcomes of our present states. I do not believe in precognition, ESP, or anything that is outside of realms of proven physical science. But I believe that dreams can leave a lasting impression that influences perception. Immanuel Kant believed that such perception was intrinsic while John Locke argued that through experiences we learn to perceive. Perhaps in correlation to dreams, Kant’s theory holds more weight, although Locke is equally correct in that dreams can also be independent experiences.  Either way, however, neither view substantiates fortune-telling. 


Select one dream that you have had recently that you still remember with some detail and that you don't mind sharing.　Then visit one or more of the popular dream interpretation websites which follow.　Using their dream dictionaries, find out what your dream means according to the chosen site.　 Describe briefly how these dream websites interpreted your dream and　whether or not you agree with their interpretation.　
I haven’t had a dream that I can remember recently. However, one dream that has always stuck with me was about my mom. I can remember being in my apartment. I think that I was cooking or something. I heard a knock at the door so I went to answer it. I was shocked to see my mom standing at the door. It had been about 15 years since I had seen her and I assumed that she had long been deceased. I remember grabbing her and hugging her really tight and crying. She held me for a bit to calm me down. We moved from the doorway into the living room where she sat me down. She asked how I was. I thought about it for a second. “Better now” I said and smiled. I asked where she had been and did she realize that we all thought she was dead. She said, “Away. I’m sorry I had to put you through this, but I had to take care of some things.” I decided that this moment was blessed and I tried my best to not ruin it. We talked for a long time. I told her about everything she missed. We had a few drinks, we laughed, I smoked a cigarette with her. “I can’t believe you smoke,” she said, “I did my best to try and keep you from doing this.” I exhaled almost choking and managed a smile. We looked out across the grain of the sunset. We held our eyes there for awhile. Then, she looked at me and said that she had to go. I agreed even though inside myself I so wanted her to stay. I kissed and hugged her. “I love you, Mom” I said. She replied, “I know, Love. I love you too.” She hugged me back. Then she let go, smiled, and walked away. I watched her leave until I couldn’t see her anymore. Then I woke up. I could still feel her in the room with me. I began to cry for a little bit, because I knew it wasn’t real.

As far as the interpretation of this dream, most indications are that I have some unresolved issues with my mother. This is true. I can remember the day that she died. The morning that she took me to school, we had an argument about my attitude. I said some pretty mean things to her. She drove me to school, and neither of us said a word all the way there. I got out of the car upset, and even as I walked to the building, I wanted to turn around and tell her goodbye and that I loved her. I regretted never being able to tell her that. So the interpretation of this particular dream--and the symbols used--seemed highly relevant, but so do the similarities the interpretations share with other symbols. There is a handful of problems or emotional states that is used and repeated. But what that means is that certain symbols hold significance in our subconscious for a reason….although that connection is not clear.
 -J-