EDITORIAL
Of MEANING , LACK OF MEANING and PURPOSE
Of all creatures on Earth , only man is capable of reflecting about himself and asking the reason behind his existence . Nietzsche said : “ Those who have a ‚ why ‘ to live , can bear with almost any ‚ how ‘”. For Viktor Frankl - the founder of Logotherapy , the third Viennese school of psychotherapy after Reich and Freud - life is about finding meaning in every situation , no matter how difficult - in your creative endeavors , in perceiving and experiencing the beauty in every situation , but also even in suffering and illness - by changing your own attitude . We experience joy , happiness , fulfillment and thus “ meaning ” in a kind of “ flow “ - whenever we are so immersed or captivated by something , that we forget time and forget everything around us – and afterwards perceive this as happiness . Aside from earthly happiness , people generally ask themselves about the meaning of life beyond that . Surveys have shown that over 90 % of people believe in transcendentalism , “ believe ” in the broadest sense of the word - from belief within a religious community to the feeling of being one with nature and the cosmos . Theoreticians of evolution are only able to recognize “ purpose ” rather than meaning in nature . Chance in the cosmic constellations gave birth to life on Earth . In evolution ( and this also applies to the human body ), only those who adapt and are purposefully organized will endure - “ Survival of the Fittest “. Possibly that is why spiritual people have managed to survive for such a long time - not least because of the social glue that comes from practicing a common faith . The German philosopher Wetz speaks of an “ indifferent universe ” and grants himself and us freedom from meaning . He is more modest in his expectations , satisfied that we citizens of Europe have been able to live together peacefully for almost 70 years - despite mankind ’ s innate aggression and after thousands of years of wars . Apparently we have learned that nationalism leads to catastrophe . The Enlightenment and the French Revolution brought us closer to tolerance , freedom , equality . In countries with the smallest disparities between poor and rich , people generally live a more stress-free and peaceful life . That it is not the “ strongman ” who will deliver us - but instead that democracy , despite its many weaknesses , is to be nurtured and can be a guarantor of the wellbeing of us all . All of this comes one step before the big question of meaning - yet touches us existentially and , so seen , Wetz is sympathetic when he allows himself to be content with the next-to-last step and propagates : It is enough to have good relationships , enjoyment and - shopping not shooting !
In keeping with this , may you also find joy in the earthly things and pleasures presented to you on the following pages , be they “ purely purposeful , meaningless or meaning-full ”.
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Franz Schweiger Publisher www . tostmann . at office @ tostmann . at