Viktor Frankl was a Jewish Viennese psychiatrist who was captured by the Nazis during World War II. He managed to survive four concentration camps, including Auschwitz and Dachau. Frankl went through the ordeal observing human behavior.
From the experience came his formulation of a system of therapy he called logotherapy.
Frankl came to a conclusion. Those most successful at surviving under challenging circumstances are those who retain a sense of meaning in their lives. The real challenge that every person faces is not what’s happening outside of them. Rather, the real challenge is what’s happening inside. This insight comes from Frankl’s book called “Man’s Search for Meaning”.
In Frankl’s own words: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms … to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way… Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness.”
Implicit in freedom is personal responsibility
With all our talk about freedom, somehow its essence has gotten lost. The essence is human beings taking responsibility for their own life and the world around them. Human beings are causes, not results. They are free agents, not victims. Can you think of a more important message as we face today’s challenges? It is equally true as a nation and as individuals.
The whole idea of America is freedom. Implicit in the idea of freedom is America must be about individuals taking responsibility. The country now faces two huge areas of uncertainty and lack of clarity. One is the nature of the health threat we are dealing with.
Today we are still reading different opinions from knowledgeable sources. How lethal is this virus is? What’s the best way to stop it? Is totally shutting down and destroying our economy required? We’re suffering great absence of clarity in government regarding who is responsible for what. Times of uncertainty are times for individuals to step up and take responsibility.
Indulging in the blame game is not action, not leadership
But, we’re getting the opposite. It is obscene House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was holding up the emergency stimulus bill to insert left-wing nonsense. It is pernicious she then accuses the President of fiddling while “people are dying.” That is not leadership. That is sedition.
Michigan’s Governor complains to the press, “We’re not getting what we need from the federal government.” But this isn’t new. Back in February, Whitmer delivered the Democrats’ response to the State of the Union address. She went on for 10 minutes about the federal government not doing enough.
She touted her efforts to expand health coverage under Obamacare. That means more bureaucratization of our hospitals and health care delivery. It means the creation of government health care incapable of flexibility. The results we are now seeing as market realities change. The cracks are showing in dealing with a serious flu outbreak. Hospitals are laying healthcare workers off. We are experiencing a reduction of access to care or in some cases elimination. For the common good… you understand.
New York City Mayor de Blasio is taking deserved heat for his delayed response to coronavirus. Weeks ago, he was on television talking about how this crisis could only be addressed by the federal government. This is the result of generations of degrading the clear constitutional lines between the federal government and the states. We now have a massive growth of the welfare state.
Wrapping it up
Democrat governors, Democrat mayors and the Democrat Speaker of the House use valuable time looking for whom to blame. America’s private business is already churning to develop better and faster testing procedures. Soon we’ll see a drug to eradicate COVID-19. Small and large businesses are deploying resources in new and creative ways. Capitalism is smarter, faster and produces what people need when they need it at prices they can afford.
As we emerge from this year’s flu season the common sense, plain spoken conservatism of young black women like Starr Parker and Candace Owens is emerging. Their efforts and actions will pay great dividends when we emerge from this crisis. The government cannot respond as responsible individuals can. Today’s challenges are being met by free, responsible people stepping into the void. That is exactly what Frankl was talking about. Isn’t it time we stop the blame game, take responsibility and solve problems?