Becoming Antifragile

Lessons from reading Man's Search for Meaning, a memoir by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. The book chronicles his experience in Nazi concentration camps, his psychological insights into human nature at its worst, what motivates people to live even in the worse conditions, and explores his theory of logotherapy. Frankl earned his M.D. in 1930 and began working at Steinhof Psychiatric Hospital where he led the treatment of suicidal women, before he was sent to the camps. During the Holocaust his wife died in the Bergen Belsen concentration camp, his father died in the Theresienstadt Ghetto concentration camp, and both his mother and brother died in Auschwitz. However, it was during his time in the concentration camps that he further developed his theory on the importance of finding meaning in life. He emphasized that discovering meaning is the primary motivation in life. It’s our will to meaning which gives hope in a hopeless world. And if a man loses hope and his will to meaning, then his “strength to carry on… seldom returned.” - 00:00:00 - Introduction & excerpt from Man’s Search for Meaning 00:02:37 - Summary of the memoir & logotherapy 00:04:47 - Getting stripped of all belongings 00:05:30 - Finding meaning 00:06:49 - Frankl’s thought on success 00:08:00 - Become worthy of suffering  00:13:35 - Changing perspective 00:14:35 - Urbanites suffer from existential anxiety 00:15:35 - Importance of a full inner life  00:16:57 - Ability to endure horrible conditions 00:18:20 - Nightmares  00:19:20 - 3 ways to find meaning 00:20:00 - Cigarettes as a sign of impending death 00:21:45 - F—’s Dream of getting rescued 00:24:25 - Meaning is subjective & concrete 00:27:00 - Nietzsche’s ‘Why’ 00:31:30 - Live with conviction 00:32:33 - Power of love 00:38:50 - Becoming virtuous 00:40:00 - Why read this book 00:41:00 - Seeking solitude - IJ Makan is a philosopher, designer, and martial artist. - Social & Website Instagram https://www.instagram.com/ijmakan Twitter https://twitter.com/ijmakan Website https://becomingantifragile.com Newsletter https://ijmakan.substack.com