While existential frustration can lead to noögenic neuroses, it can also cause existential despair. This term refers to a deep sadness regarding one’s inability to find meaning in one’s life. Existential despair does not need to be treated through therapy, and can be overcome by looking for the meaning in one’s work, love, or suffering.
Existential despair Quotes in Man’s Search for Meaning
The Man’s Search for Meaning quotes below are all either spoken by Existential despair or refer to Existential despair. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Experiences in a Concentration Camp
Quotes
Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.
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The crowning experience for all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear anymore—except his God.
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Existential despair Term Timeline in Man’s Search for Meaning
The timeline below shows where the term Existential despair appears in Man’s Search for Meaning. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Logotherapy in a Nutshell: Noögenic Neuroses
...frustration does not inherently cause serious, long-term problems. In milder cases, frustration leads to “ existential despair ,” or a deep concern over the meaning of one’s life.
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