6/4/20

#36

“The way in which a man accepts his fate and all the suffering it entails, the way in which he takes up his cross, gives him ample opportunity – even under the most difficult circumstances – to add a deeper meaning to his life. It may remain brave, dignified and unselfish. Or in the bitter fight for self-preservation he may forget his human digitnity and become no more than an animal. Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his suffering or not.” – Victor Frankl

I’m currently reading Man’s Search For Meaning by Victor Frankl, and there is lots of valuable insight on suffering in this book. I don’t think 20 year old me can even begin to understand the atrocities of the Holocaust. I know some facts of it but my heart and head will not even come close to the pain and hopelessness inflicted by the Nazis. Although not even in the same realm, I am going to try and apply this philosophy to my own trials. Again those trials are unbelievably minuscule compared to the Holocaust, but this philosophy will be helpful nonetheless. To remain brave to accept the fate. You can’t change the situation, but you can change how you perceive the situation. We are not animals. I hope we get better. I hope 2021 is better. That’s so far away. But I think that’s the case now. To wait for 2021. But do we have to? Or we can change how we perceive this year. Yes it’s “bad” if we were to ask everybody. But that doesn’t mean we have to be bad or let that bad affect us.

Kiubon