Man’s Fork In The Road

5 Commentsby   |  12.02.13  |  Second Blog Post

I enjoyed learning about Frankl and his belief that man has the power to decided his fate. Man may have the same set of circumstances, but he can either hide within those circumstances, or use them to find meaning and value in them which in return helps man to be a stronger individual. The choosing of our interpretation and meaning of our experiences we grow in freedom. According to Frankl, “Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds meaning.” This illustrates a redemptive spirit to look past the case of circumstances, like the prisoners in the concentration camps, and find a meaning when there were not many left.  Frankl also explains how some may stay stagnant and therefore not find any meaning and living life as a puzzle piece in someone else’s puzzle. To not live up to their human potential keeps them at a safe zone which Frankl believed was a fall of humans. The human life is a path. In each circumstance there is a fork in the road where you can work to find individual meaning or take the path of acceptance in fate.

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5 Comments

  1. Jessica Weeden
    11:24 pm, 12.02.13

    Nicole, I enjoyed reading your thoughts about Frankl. He really speaks to the power of the individual to choose. When circumstances beyond our understanding and control occur, there really is a fork in the road moment. I liked the way you worded that because if we are honest with ourselves it is true. We are not Holocaust victims/survivors but we are students who live in a broken world where death, pain, loss and suffering does happen. When confronted with the reality of loss (which I think we can all identify with) it is easy to get into a rut of self pity or sadness. But, like Paul said, he can learn to be content in all circumstances. Finding meaning does not necessarily mean having the answers…but we can choose our response and make it meaningful. And that is redeeming.

  2. Jacey Ferrara
    2:32 pm, 12.03.13

    Nicole, I really enjoyed your post! I find Frankl fascinating, and I like how you connected him both with the fall and with redemption. When man doesn’t find purpose or hope, that definitely gives insight into the Fall of man and the deception of this world. At the same time, Frankl also talks about the ability of man to choose and find meaning in life, which definitely speaks to redemption. I also appreciate Jessica’s response! Although we have not suffered as a Holocaust victim as Frankl did, we have the ability to make daily choices. Especially as Christians we can choose to speak life, hope, love, and joy in the midst of difficult situations.

  3. Maddy Spell
    10:20 pm, 12.04.13

    I liked your connection of finding meaning to the idea of redemption. Trying to understand why certain things happen to you or someone you love is something that is reoccurring in therapy. When being oppressed by others the understanding can be harder to come to. So I agree that redemption would be an important idea to understand.

  4. D.J. Acevedo
    11:08 pm, 12.04.13

    I too really liked your connections you made in this post. Finding meaning in something gives a good motivation for sticking through. I loved your post, Well thought out and it has given me a lot to think about as well!

  5. Sydney Smith
    12:27 am, 12.05.13

    I love reading your post. Frankl himself has made me think more about life and the things we are faced with each day, good or bad. We as human beings have to realize the things that happen to us can and cannot be explained, but we do have to live with what has happened and move from it.

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