Writing that person it's more than just a product of heredity and environment, Frankl pointed out that people are gifted with the ability to shape themselves and their life experiences. The man is influenced by nature (heredity) as well as by nurture (environment). But as Frankl emphasizes, a person always has freedom of choice. People can choose how to deal with what nature and environment “offer” them.
On the one hand, I find it difficult to agree with the statement that Frankl, that man - is more than just the result of genetic and environmental influences. I believe that a person can choose, but he/she chooses among the real possibilities that the environment and genetic inclinations propose him/her. Environment and heredity cannot predetermine the fate and the way of life of a man, but they set certain limits of human life.
For example, you can recall the example of the girl Jennie (Wild Child). Her parents kept her locked in the room from 3 to 13 years. Jennie has not mastered speech at an early age because parents did not talk to her and she was not engaged in any training and education. As a result, at the age of thirteen Jenny was not able to master speech, as children do it during normal development. Despite different psychologists, psychiatrists and teachers had tried to teach thirteen-years-old Jennie speaking; their efforts did not bring any significant results (Garmon, Estus, Keach, Rymer, 2006).
Based on this story, it is possible to draw an analogy with the most everyday situations that concern development and education of children and come to a definite conclusion. As Jennie could not master the speech at a later age, as well, many people are not able to learn certain moral traits, personality traits and cognitive abilities that would allow them to understand the meaning of some life challenges, and other experiences.
On the other hand, I can agree with the statement by Viktor Frankl, since, despite some limitations associated with the influence of environment and heredity on us, we remain able to make our choice.
As an example, let us take a real autobiographical story of Augusten Burroughs outlined in the novel and movie "Running with Scissors". The main character had a negative life experience, a bad heredity and environment influenced him adversely, but nevertheless, he makes his choice to live another life than his mother or other significant people lived. He suffered from alcohol addiction for some time; his mother was ill with schizophrenia, and he did not even get a school education. However, he became a famous writer. He used his negative experiences as an essential material for his books. Perhaps if Augusten did not experience all those pretty traumatic events, which we can see in the film "Running with Scissors" and if Augusten were unable to transform this experience to his advantage, he would not have achieved success in life. Things could have turned out the other way: Augusten Burroughs could stay in the family of Dr. Finch and just accept his sad fate. But there is something inside pushed Augusten to choose a better life and this "something", this inner power is unlikely to be regarded only as the influences of heredity and environment (Murphy, R., Gardner, D., Grey, B., Pitt, B., Bening, A., Cox, B., Fiennes, J, 2007).
In my interpretation, the phrase “I will to meaning” means that the need to understand a sense of own existence is one of an essential human needs. Frankl points out that Freud, in his practical work, used the concept of "the pleasure principle" (the will to pleasure), and Adler spoke about the desire for excellence and power (the will for superiority). In contrast to Freud and Adler, Frankl pointed out the "will to meaning" as the force that drives the man. It is also important to note that Frankl spoke of the "will to meaning" rather than "the needs to have the meaning of life." Probably by this Frankl tried to emphasize a particular level of mental functioning and human consciousness, due to which a man searches for the meaning of life.
Also, the phrase "I will to meaning" may be understood in this perspective that the person in every situation consciously or unconsciously, seek to understand the meaning of this situation and wants to believe that certain circumstances are necessary for something, that they lead and serve to a definite purpose.
The work of Viktor Frankl, "Man's Search for Meaning", I believe, gives a lot of information that can be used in the practical work with people. This work is simple enough for understanding. Frankl gives many examples of real situations in which individuals find the meaning of their lives and cope with hard problems.
Frankl gives us a new approach to understanding the suffering of man, his psychological difficulties, as well as a new approach to how you can help a person in challenging situations. In other words, the information outlined by Frankl in his book, we can use for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. First (diagnostics) means to ask what the problem of individual is, and the second (therapy) involves how to help the individual cope with this problem.
Frankl proposed concepts of noogenic neurosis (2006, p. 101), existential frustration and the other concepts. And with central concepts of his logotherapy, Frankl offered a rather optimistic view on the suffering and on the various negative experiences of the person. Frankl believed that when an individual is experiencing an existential frustration, noogenic neurosis, crisis, all these processes give him opportunities for inner growth and development (2006, p. 101). That is why the therapist must help the patient not only to get out of these experiences, do not get rid of suffering, but rather to change the perception of pain and open up new opportunities for the growth of the patient.
Frankl identifies three types of values that are associated with the meaning of life: the values of attitudes, values of experience and values of creativity. Values of attitudes connected with the fact that we can have different views on what is happening. For example, Frankl gave the story of a woman who has the irreversible disease. She suffered from the fact that her death was near. But then she changed her attitude toward the upcoming death. She found a sense in own death and decided to become the example of fortitude for her family and friends. She found the meaning in inspiring others to be spiritually strong and does not give up.
Frankl also points out that the meaning arises when we enjoy passively the beauty of nature, literary creations, arts and others (2006, p. 111). For example, in the book, Frankl describes a dialogue with his patient. His patient indicates that while listening to the music of the great composers, he is experiencing such high feelings due to which intellectual reflection about the search for the meaning of life becomes unnecessary. The patient felt in those moments the meaning already exists in the experiencing and enjoyment of something.
We also can find the meaning when we love someone (2006, p. 111). Frankl points out in his book that even a person, who lost everything in one`s life, can keep the most precious thing – the image of the person who one loves. It is known, Frankl's wife was killed (as well as the rest of the family of Frankl) during the Holocaust. However, in his book, Frankl does not describe the suffering associated with the death of his wife. He describes how the feelings of love toward his wife helped him to survive in a concentration camp.
Also, people can found the meaning in active, creative works. Frankl describing his experience in concentration camp emphasizes that he was motivated to stay alive because he had deep desire to write a book. His previous manuscript was confiscated when Frankl was taken to the camp (2006, p. 104). With their creative work individuals can share their experience, knowledge, which can help other people in their life.
Refferences
Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Boston: Beacon Press.
Garmon, L., Estus, B., Keach, S., Rymer, R., WGBH (Television station : Boston, Mass.)., British Broadcasting Corporation., WGBH Video (Firm), Nederlandse Omroepprogramma Stichting. (2006). Secret of the wild child. South Burlington, VT: WGBH Educational Foundation.
Murphy, R., Gardner, D., Grey, B., Pitt, B., Bening, A., Cox, B., Fiennes, J., Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (Firm). (2007). Running with scissors. Culver City, Calif: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
