Logotherapy in a nutshell

1. The Essence of Existence

1.1. The essence of existence is the search itself of the meaning in life by man. There are three ways to find a meaning in life: by creating a work or doing a deed; by experiencing something or encountering someone; and by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.

2. The Meaning of Love

2.1. The second way of finding a meaning in life is by experiencing something - such as goodness, truth and beauty - by experiencing nature and culture or, last but not least, by experiencing another human being in their very uniqueness - by loving them. Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of their personality.

3. The Meaning of Suffering

3.1. In some way, suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice. Meaning is possible even in the spite of suffering.

4. The Super-Meaning

4.1. What is demanded of man is not to endure the meaninglessness of life, but rather to bear his incapacity to grasp its unconditional meaningfulness in rational terms.

5. Critique of Pan-Determinism

5.1. Man is not fully conditioned and determined but rather determines himself whether he gives in to conditions or stands up to them. Man is ultimately self-determining. Man does not simply exists but determines what his existence will be and what he will become the next moment.

6. When the will to meaning is lost, the patient falls into what is called "the existential vacuum". The existential vacuum manifests itself mainly in a state of boredom. the frustrated will to meaning is taken by the will to pleasure.

7. The Will To Meaning

7.1. Man can decide to have a reason to live, something that will give meaning to his life. This meaning must and can be fulfilled by man alone.

8. Existential Frustration

8.1. Man's will to meaning can also be frustrated, in which case logotherapy refers to an "existential frustration". This can result in neuroses.

9. Noögenic Neuroses

9.1. From the greek "noös" that means mind. They emerge from existential problems; the frustration of the will to meaning plays a large role.Noögenic neuroses have their origin not in the psychological but rather in the "noölogical" dimension of human existence.

10. Noö-Dynamics

10.1. The idea of having a meaning to fulfill in life helps man survive even the worst conditions. What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task.

11. The Existential Vacuum

12. The Meaning of Life

12.1. It's not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. Everyone has their own vocation or mission to fulfill the meaning in their life.