Man's Search for Meaning

I recently watched the 1966 movie, "Alfie" starring Michael Caine. The score "What's It All About Alfie" was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and sung by Dionne Warwick. The first two lines sum up the movie's quest for meaning and purpose in life.

"What's it all about Alfie
Is it just for the moment we live"

As we age, it's not unusual to think about the meaning of our lives. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist wrote "Man's Search for Meaning".

The book is based upon Frankl's experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps and his theory about how to find meaning in life which he calls logo- therapy.

Logotherapy 's premise is that while we can't control our circumstances, many times we can control how we respond to them. He states that even in profound suffering, we can find meaning, achieve personal growth and attain inner peace.

When asking himself why some prisoners survived when so many died, he used a psychotherapeutic method which involves identifying a purpose to each person's life through one of three ways: (1) the completion of tasks; (2) caring for another person; and (3) facing suffering with dignity.

Frankl states that when we're unable to find meaning in our lives, we're left with what is referred to as an "existential vacuum". People who are unable to live according to their values, or feel like their lives have no meaning, will find a kind of emptiness inside themselves.

Logotherapy attempts to help people find meaning and prevent the negative consequences that could result from a persisting "existential vacuum".

As an educator, I see the importance of teaching children core values such as resilience, hope and coping during difficult times.

The "Don't Be That KID!" Series scenes each provide an opportunity for parents, grandparents and educators to have discussions about character building values and understand the importance of creating a life that has meaning for them.