I have an eye for "
therapeutic distinctions", pairs of closely related concepts that contain subtle differences that may initially seem obscure but which can often reveal profound implications. One such distinction is between "what" and "why".
This is such a
fundamental distinction that the nexus of these two concepts forms the basis of most philosophies mankind has devised. It is essentially the difference between "what something
is" and "what that something
means". The implications of this basic distinction have filled many books, but for my purposes now I want to note only one of them, Victor Frankl's classic "
Man's Search For Meaning".
Frankl uses his experience in a Nazi concentration camp as the basis for developing his theory of meaning as man's driving purpose in life. A concept I derived from Frankl is that a human can withstand many extremely difficult "whats" as long as he or she has a sufficiently strong sense of "why" to sustain the effort. In essence, "why" trumps "what".
I consider this distinction to have profound therapeutic implications. Depression, for example, can be seen not merely as the result of an unsustainable burden or stress but is instead the consequence of a basic fatigue or collapse of meaning. The success of such popular books as "
The Purpose-Driven Life" and "
Tuesdays With Morrie" (to name only two) speak to the deep quest for a sustaining sense of meaning that is at the heart of each human being.
In many ways successful
counseling or therapy is the process of exchanging and enhancing personal meaning. What does it mean that your unique history has taken the course it has to this point? What meaning may be present in your life experience that requires a deeper level of discernment to reveal itself? These are not mere theoretical questions but are deeply relevant and practical for all of us.
I'm not advocating that
"whats" don't have their own inherent importance. Past a certain point meaning can't change some of the essential aspects of reality. To borrow from an old Monty Python skit, a
dead parrot isn't merely "pining for the fjords". But meaning reigns supreme in the realm of hope and the guidance of human behavior. A tree grows because of its inherent nature to do so, but a person continues to grow as a human for reasons that must be individually compelling.
There are lots of methods for examining your own personal relationship to the meaning of your life. Counseling is by no means the only or even the best method for engaging in the search for "reasons that fit", but it can be mighty helpful when your view of the world or yourself seems to lack sufficient fulfillment or motivation to your quest of achieving a full and deep life.
This is such a fundamental distinction that the nexus of these two concepts forms the basis of most philosophies mankind has devised. It is essentially the difference between "what something is" and "what that something means". The implications of this basic distinction have filled many books, but for my purposes now I want to note only one of them, Victor Frankl's classic " Man's Search For Meaning".
Frankl uses his experience in a Nazi concentration camp as the basis for developing his theory of meaning as man's driving purpose in life. A concept I derived from Frankl is that a human can withstand many extremely difficult "whats" as long as he or she has a sufficiently strong sense of "why" to sustain the effort. In essence, "why" trumps "what".
I consider this distinction to have profound therapeutic implications. Depression, for example, can be seen not merely as the result of an unsustainable burden or stress but is instead the consequence of a basic fatigue or collapse of meaning. The success of such popular books as " The Purpose-Driven Life" and " Tuesdays With Morrie" (to name only two) speak to the deep quest for a sustaining sense of meaning that is at the heart of each human being.
In many ways successful counseling or therapy is the process of exchanging and enhancing personal meaning. What does it mean that your unique history has taken the course it has to this point? What meaning may be present in your life experience that requires a deeper level of discernment to reveal itself? These are not mere theoretical questions but are deeply relevant and practical for all of us.
I'm not advocating that "whats" don't have their own inherent importance. Past a certain point meaning can't change some of the essential aspects of reality. To borrow from an old Monty Python skit, a dead parrot isn't merely "pining for the fjords". But meaning reigns supreme in the realm of hope and the guidance of human behavior. A tree grows because of its inherent nature to do so, but a person continues to grow as a human for reasons that must be individually compelling.
There are lots of methods for examining your own personal relationship to the meaning of your life. Counseling is by no means the only or even the best method for engaging in the search for "reasons that fit", but it can be mighty helpful when your view of the world or yourself seems to lack sufficient fulfillment or motivation to your quest of achieving a full and deep life.