The Meaning Difference

Swine Flu and the Paradox of Intention

I recently returned from Greece and while I was abroad, I learned about the "Swine Flu," also known as the H1N1 virus, which emerged in Mexico and began spreading to other countries. On my way back to the United States, the concern about this unpredictable virus and whether it would become a pandemic, was evident at the Washington Dulles Airport, which was the first place where I observed passengers wearing face masks for fear of contracting the virus. When I returned to my hometown of Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (not to be confused with "Old" Mexico) I even saw a woman wearing such a mask while driving her car!

Alright, I'm all for being taking precautions and being hyper-vigilant whenever a potentially dangerous situation arises. I remember well the SARS epidemic in 2003 which killed more than 800 people around the world. And I know that the World Health Organization hiked its alert level to 5 from 3 -- the last step before a pandemic -- due to the flu's spread and the threat that it could target poor and disease-prone communities. At the same time, I would not go as far as Vice President Joe Biden who raised the alarm even further by recommending, albeit by implication, that people not fly or ride public transportation!

To be sure, this is a time for being attentive and for remaining on our guard. Likewise, it is a time for common sense. As scientists are still trying to assess this new virus and develop a vaccine for it, we also must recognize that "regular" seasonal flu strains kill between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world every year. In the U.S. alone, to put the new "crisis" in context, about 36,000 people die every year from flu-related causes. And U.S. health officials are cautiously optimistic that this new swine flu isn't as dangerous, relatively-speaking, as first feared, while recognizing of course that commonsense precautions are still necessary.

Let me underscore that it is important and reasonable to be hyper-vigilant as this complex human drama continues to unfold. At the same time, I'm reminded of the dangers that lurk behind the watchful eye of the beholder. Remember the period immediately after the attacks of September 11, 2001, when we were also called upon to be hyper-vigilant? Good intentions aside, because we were afraid of "terrorists" and were on high alert, in our mind's eye we increased the likelihood of "seeing" suspected terrorists even if they were innocent people who just happened to fit a predetermined "profile!"

The Paradox of Intention
This behavioral phenomenon, which is closely related to hyper-vigilance, can effectively lead to working against ourselves. In my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, I describe this meaning-focused principle as "paradoxical intention," that is, we become so obsessed with or fixated on an intent or outcome that we actually work against the desired result. In the case of post-9/11 terrorism, we became obsessed with or fixated on finding terrorists, and guess what? We began to "see" potential terrorists everywhere we went! Now, in the case of the swine flu, many of us have become obsessed with or fixated on the symptoms of the disease, and guess what? We begin to observe in others or manifest in ourselves these symptoms whether they/we actually have the flu or not! Consider the case of Mexico having to charter a plane to bring home 70 of its citizens from China who were seized at the airport and quarantined, declaring that the swine flu epidemic was no reason for "repressive and discriminatory measures." Hyper-vigilance or over-reaction, you decide.

Paradoxical intention, in this regard, involves two other "hyper" behaviors that, again, are related to being hyper-vigilant. One is called "hyper-intention," that is, the obsession with or fixation on a result or outcome. Put differently, the end justifies the means, since we are intent on achieving our aim no matter what (even if it is unrealistic, improbable, or not even necessary). And the other is called "hyper-reflection," that is, the obsession with or fixation on "seeing" something in ourselves or in others. Isn't it amazing how frequently we "see" things that we are intent on seeing even if those things are not really there? You know, our mind has a funny way of playing tricks on us when we allow it. Paradoxically, in combination the dual forces of hyper-intention and hyper-reflection serve to work against even our best intentions. In other words, we actually work against ourselves and, as a result, may exacerbate the situation at hand rather than resolve it!

The Antidote
What is the antidote, you ask? Let me suggest first that you try to let go and lighten up about the situation you are facing -- be it concern about the swine flu or anything else in your personal or work life. This will help you temper your need for hyper-vigilance and put the situation into a more reasonable and workable context. In turn, this shift in attitude and perspective will help you avoid the human tendency to "hyper-intend" and "hyper-reflect" (and for some, even to "hyper-ventilate!") when dealing with crisis situations. Trust me, I have used this advice many times in my own life, as well as have observed it work effectively in the lives of others. Without hesitation, I can assure you that it helps. In the final analysis, it is also more than simply "hype!"

Meaningfully,
Alex

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
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Adapted and reprinted from Alex Pattakos, Huffington Post

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Adapted and reprinted from Alex Pattakos on Huffington Post

LOVE IS THE ULTIMATE AND HIGHEST GOAL

This seems a timely topic to revisit.

"Love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire....The salvation of man is through love and in love.  I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the comtemplation of his beloved."  Dr. Viktor Frankl wrote these words in his classic bestseller, Man's Search for Meaning, a book that was first published in German in 1946 under the title, Ein Psycholog erlebt das Konzentrationslager (From Death-Camp to Existentialism).  For good reason, Man's Search for Meaning remains one of the most important books of modern times (the Library of Congress named it one of the ten most influential books in America).  Indeed, Frankl's personal story of finding a reason to live in the most horrendous of circumstances--Nazi concentration camps--has inspired millions.

So, it is against this personal backdrop that Dr. Frankl's quote about love must be considered.  And considered very seriously.  You see, although Dr. Frankl was blessed with surviving his horrific ordeal in four different Nazi death camps, including Auschwitz, his mother, father, wife, and brother were not so fortunate.  And even though he had been stripped of everything, down--literally--to the bare bones of his humanity, Viktor Frankl experienced moments of bliss, especially when he thought of his beloved--his wife, his parents, his brother, and others who were dear to him.  In no uncertain terms, Frankl learned unequivocally that love was his salvation and that, among all of the values that offered him a source of personal meaning, it was love that proved to be the "ultimate and highest goal to which he could aspire."

I would like all of us to reflect seriously upon the above passage from Man's Search for Meaning, along with Dr. Frankl's personal, love-affirming experience--today, tomorrow, and forever.

There are two online self-learning exhibits at the Global Dialogue Center that help to bring Viktor Frankl ideas to life:

• Viktor Frankl: The Man, His Message, His Principles
  at the Knowledge Gallery. Also be sure to watch the excerpt from
  Joel Barker's Power of Vision video filmed in Auschwitz.
• Light in the Dark: A Tribute to Viktor Frankl
  with a poem by Sara Robinson

Consider these questions...
What do you think about Viktor Frankl insight?  How does it make you feel? 
How and in what ways are you bringing and weaving love into your life?  Into your work?

Why not make now the time to affirm too that "love is the ultimate and highest goal" to which we all can aspire?! For more information about this topic, and to learn how it relates to the Will to Meaning, see Chapter 5, "Realize Your Will to Meaning," in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work.  And, of course, let me know--either through this blog or directly--if you have any questions or comments!

Meaningfully,
Alex

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
Learn more

NEWEST EDITIONS: Prisoners of Our Thoughts
New edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts in paperback, Audiobook CD, and digital download formats! Learn more

Buy a copy at Amazon.com

New Audiobook Digital Download Now Available! The digital download version of PRISONERS OF OUR THOUGHTS: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work can now be obtained from both iTunes and Audible.com, which means you can listen to it on your computer, iPod, or other MP3 player . Here is the direct link to Audible.com: Prisoners of Our Thoughts Digital Download
Also available on iTUNES. 

Be Realistic, Expect Miracles: Flight 1549 and the Spirit of Service

Today Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, the pilot who made a treacherous crash-landing on New York's Hudson River look like a routine maneuver got a hero's welcome Saturday in his California hometown. (See CNN video). 

A few days ago, I wrote about the experience of the "Miracle on the Hudson:

It is being called the "Miracle on the Hudson." On Thursday, January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River minutes after takeoff from New York City's LaGuardia Airport. After being crippled by a collision with a flock of birds, the plane carrying 155 passengers went down literally just feet from the Manhattan skyline. Miraculously, all passengers and crew members survived.

While commercial jet crashes, fortunately, are rare; surviving a major airline accident like what happened with US Airways Flight 1549 is even rarer. Luck and good fortune were obviously at work in this particular case. So was the unquestioned expertise of the pilot, Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, who rightly so has become a national hero, co-pilot Jeffrey Skiles, and their crew for how they handled the abrupt and unusual landing and evacuation. There also was the expertise displayed by those who quickly came to the victims' rescue via nearby Coast Guard vessels, tour boats, and commuter ferries.

To be sure, this was an unforgettable, life-and-death experience like no other. And the level of expertise and professional readiness of everyone involved in the entire rescue effort cannot be overlooked or minimized. This said, the real-life drama of and lessons learned from US Airways Flight 1549 go well beyond strict professionalism and first responder experience per se. The actions that began with Captain Sullenberger and his crew, and that continued with everyone, including passengers, who played a part in ensuring that all people safely departed the plane and were rescued, signal and underscore that something else was at work too. And although this "something else" may be viewed as part of the "Miracle" that unfolded on the Hudson, I submit that it is also a manifestation of something more practical and realistic--the elevation of the human spirit at work in the service of others.

Think about it for a minute. Unlike the horrific "Black Friday" experience at a New York Wal-Mart store this past holiday season, when an employee was trampled to death as thousands of people rushed through the doors at the opening of the store, a potential catastrophe (and loss of human life) was averted on the Hudson River by the actions of people caring for and helping other people in need, even at the risk of their own safety and welfare. And over and over again, from the plight of US Airways Flight 1549, we hear stories of civility and heroism that go well beyond the "call of duty."

As the aircraft began to sink in the Hudson River's frigid gray current, witnesses described a scene of level-headed "teamwork" to evacuate the weak and injured, including an infant and an elderly woman in a wheel-chair. Moreover, as passengers scrambled for the exits, they did so in as calm a way as humanly possible under the circumstances, even carrying the helpless and forsaking their own fear so that everyone filed quickly and safely through the exit doors and out onto the wings and the emergency chutes. And all this was accomplished under extremely harsh conditions, since most passengers were not properly dressed for the "occasion" and fled without their life jackets. A few even fell into 36-degree water, which meant that they would not be able to last long in the cold due to hypothermia.

However, fellow passengers, who effectively were "strangers," displayed unselfish acts of courage by being willing to risk their own lives to "fish" their fallen comrades out of the water! And I'm not yet talking about the bravery exhibited by the plane's pilot and crew, or the first responders and other emergency personnel who came to the aid of the stranded passengers! No, once again, I'm talking about "ordinary" people helping other "ordinary" people under circumstances that simply boggle the mind. I read about one passenger, for example, who, although soaked and shivering from having been in the river, turned her attention to a fellow passenger who had suffered a deep gash in her leg and was bleeding heavily. With the obvious propensity for chaos all around her, this truly "volunteer" aid worker observed that the most amazing thing was that she saw no pushing, no shoving; only help and compassion. Now how is this for a practical example of the "spirit of service?!"

There is no question that the rescue of US Airways Flight 1549 has already inspired millions of people around the world. Moreover, as I have already pointed out, there was no shortage of heroes on the Hudson. Captain Sullenberger, a former fighter pilot, went up and down the listing, drifting craft--twice--to make sure that everyone got out before he did the same. And those aboard the Coast Guard vessels, tour boats, and commuter ferries worked hard and fast to rescue the people from the jetliner, even giving them their gloves, jackets, and coats for warmth and to prevent hypothermia. A couple of New City police detectives selflessly entered the plane to rescue some passengers who were still inside, while their police scuba diver colleagues dropped from a helicopter high above to pull some passengers from the icy cold water. If the accident itself was hard to imagine, again, so was the result: Besides one victim with two broken legs, there were no other reports of serious injuries and all 155 people on board were pulled to safety.

Yes, be realistic and expect miracles, I say! By relating and being directed to something more than yourself, it is possible (and realistic) to manifest the human spirit at work and, as my mentor, Viktor Frankl, would say, turn an apparently meaningless suffering into a genuine human achievement. This is what occurred on the Hudson River on January 15th, when human beings demonstrated that they can--and will--rise above their predicament even against the odds. Moreover, the capacity to "extend beyond yourself," referred to as self-transcendence in Logotherapy, according to Dr. Frankl, is another one of our unique traits as human beings and is the essence of our human-ness. Refer to Chapter 10: Extend Beyond Yourself,  one of the core principles introduced in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts.

For now, let me also say that when we work directly for the good of others, that is, the "spirit of service," meaning deepens in ways that reward us beyond measure. Whenever we go beyond satisfying our own personal needs, we enter the realm of what Frankl called "ultimate meaning." Some call it connection to a higher self, to God, to our own spirit, to universal consciousness, to love, to the collective good. No matter what it's called, it is deep meaning and it transforms our lives. In this connection, I'm sure that everyone associated with the "Miracle on the Hudson," even many of us who were fortunate to observe it from afar, will discover deep meaning from the experience. We certainly now have the opportunity to do so. ...and by being realistic and expecting miracles, many more will notice that their lives, indeed, have been transformed!

Black Friday or Miracle on the Hudson; what kind of human being are you? 

Do you have the "Spirit of Service?"

Original article posted on Alex Pattakos' Blog on Huffington Post

All the best,
Alex

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
Learn more

NEW EDITION: Prisoners of Our Thoughts
New edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts in paperback, Audiobook CD, and digital download formats! Learn more

Buy a copy at Amazon.com

International Bestseller! PRISONERS OF OUR THOUGHTS is included in the national Top-10 bestseller list for nonfiction books by EL PERIÓDICO, a national newspaper of Spain