3 The meaning of life
The meaning of life is deemed as something important, worthy and giving a particular value to someone, in which it properly becomes the purpose in life.
People will find their life worthy if they can fulfil the meaning of life. Then, the meaning of life is apparently in the life itself and able to be found in every
condition either enjoyable or suffering condition, even death. Meaning in suffering or blessing in disguise shows that people can still find the meaning of
life although they are in suffer. If the will can be fulfilled, the people’s life will be useful, worthy, and meaningful. On the contrary, if the will cannot be fulfilled, the
people’s life will be meaningless.
b. Processes of Finding the Meaning of Life
Frankl 69-79 in The Will to Meaning Foundation and Applications of Logotherapy
explains that there are valuing processes that will enable someone to find a meaningful life. They are creative values, experiential values, and
attitudinal values. 1
Creative values Creative values consist of doing work, creating and doing the duty as good
as possible with the responsibility. For example, people can find their meaning of life and experience their life meaningfully by doing work. They feel more worthy
when they have a work than when they have no work. Thus, the meaning of life is not determined by the work but it
depends on one’s personality, which has positive attitude to love his work and also to do work wholeheartedly. That is why
doing works is only means that give a chance to find and develop one’s meaning
of life. 2
Experiential values Experiential values consist of conviction and experience to the values of
the truth, the good deeds, the beautifulness, the spirit, the religion, and loving affection. For example, there are many people who can find their meaning of life
in their religion and or in all things they do with arts. They are also able to find the meaning of life by experiencing of loving affection. They can find their life
full of glorious feeling by feeling love and being loved. It shows that loving affection is one of the sources of the meaning of someone’s life.
3 Attitudinal values
Attitudinal values consist of sincerity, patience, and courage. The courage means the bravery of someone who accepts the suffering with his whole heart,
such as the suffering of the incurable diseases and death. For example, people cannot change the situation while finding the suffering but they can change their
attitude to endure their life. The attitudes determine them to find the meaning of life. Thus, it means that people can find the meaning in every situation, provided
they can take the correct attitude to endure the situation.
c. Failure of Finding the Meaning of Life
After dealing with the processes in finding the meaning, there are people who may not be able to fulfil their will to meaning because they have a lack of
consciousness that they potentially can find the meaning from life and all their experiences. The failure of finding the meaning of life causes a suffering in the
