No Purpose

[vervex]

Victor Frankl was a Jewish prisoner of a Nazi concentration camp who was miraculously able to survive thanks in no small part to a faith that he had a purpose and that there was greater meaning. In his small and heartbreakingly beautiful book, "Man's Search for Meaning" he contends that where people have a why, they can endure any how.

That is to say, when one has a sense of meaning or purpose, that meaning or purpose can, above all things, carry one through circumstances and modes of suffering that otherwise could not be endured.

I have not read the book so, please, correct me if I am wrong, but from reading your reply I get the impression this man may have survived in part thanks to his conviction in a purpose and higher meaning. Having a "why", a strong nearly unshakable belief, can help people cope with many horrendous circumstances. In this particular context, it remains however a coping mechanism, a method which can render one unconscious of other alternatives, alternatives which may be difficult for the entity to envision at the time.

While I would never dare condemn such technique, I would personally recommend an acceptance of all possibilities as much as possible, while striving for what one desires - in peace and balance. It is my understanding that the solidity (or inflexibility) of the self-assigned life purpose or mission is inversely proportional to one's acceptance to the alternative scenario. One does not need to look as far as concentration camps to observe similar phenomena; they are easily observable among the very religious. Often, the conviction goes as far as claiming that God personally gave them a mission to accomplish, and while we could debate that it is technically true since they are God, they seek sense and direction and will use such mechanism to obtain it. They then derive their meaning externally through seeking to please God, seeking to justify their existence which otherwise is perceived as meaningless.

I generalize of course; different people have different reasons to pursue the things they desire, however I couldn't help but notice the similarity between current religious, self-appointed servants of an overseeing anthropomorphic God and the example you provided above