Similarities to the Ideas of Frankl

I connected most with the theories of Victor Frankl. Like Frankl, I also feel that the foundation of ethics is finding meaning in one’s life and in the situations that one encounters throughout life. Victor Frankl equated the act of finding meaning to one’s conscience. Another idea that I agree with is that the most informed decision possible leads to a choice that is fair for those involved and leaves one with a sound mind as a result of the effort that is put into making the decision. One is ultimately responsible for the choices that they make.

When I was a freshman at UCF, I had a roommate who did not try and find meaning in her life. She was always out at parties, drinking, and sleeping with different boys. To her, those experiences were the meaning of life; she lived for the next drink, party, or boy that would come next. Meanwhile, I constantly had to find an excuse to get out of going with her. Sometimes the peer-pressure was tempting, but every time I thought about going, I realized that there would be no benefit for anyone involved. Instead, I found (and still do find) satisfaction in volunteering, studying and visiting my family; and those activities benefit other people, as well as myself.

Frankl’s ideas can be used in healthcare to provide patients and employees with the best care possible. Say a doctor is running behind on his appointments for the day, he has a choice to make. Does he start cutting down the amount of time he spends with each patient so that he can leave the office on-time at the end of the day? Or does he think about the needs of his patients and decide to take his time in order to accurately assess each individual, even if it means leaving the office late? According to Frankl, the ethical decision would be the latter one. The doctor would use his conscience to consider the meaning of his situation and would act appropriately.