The Meaning Difference


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The Spirit and True Meaning of DIALOGUE

ApbIn his keynote address to more than 50,000 people during the Seeds of Compassion Conference in Seattle, Washington, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, urged everyone to have hope for the future and called for a “century of dialogue.”  Trying to avoid direct reference to the situation in Tibet at this essentially nonpolitical event, the Dalai Lama's message still sought to replace the current period of civil strife and what he called “constant war” with one that had dialogue at its core.

I think that you would agree with me that the Dalai Lama’s message not only is a reflection of the “audacity of hope” but also is a manifestation of his authentic commitment to meaningful values and goals, that is, what I refer to in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, the “will to meaning.”

What and Why of DIALOGUE
Yet, I also believe that hope is not a strategy and that the pursuit of meaning takes much more than words alone.  So what is dialogue and why is it so difficult to do?  We all hear the word “dialogue” battered around rather loosely, used indiscriminately (like the boy who learns how to use a hammer and then finds that everything could use a bit of hammering!), and referred to in ways that would seem to make it an easy thing to do.  Besides suggesting that we all need to use the process of “dialogue” in group settings as a way to resolve conflicts, solve problems, and even promote innovation, we also are frequently called upon to have an “inner dialogue” with ourselves.  Perhaps in this way, we’ll actually get to “know” ourselves better and increase the likelihood of achieving our highest potential!

This brings us back to the basic question, “why is dialogue easier said than done?!”  Let’s begin to answer this question by first seeking to understand what is meant by the word dialogue at its “root” level.  The word dialogue actually comes from two Greek words--dia, meaning “through,” and logos, most frequently but only roughly translated in English as “the meaning.”  Upon closer examination, the various translations of the word logos, a common Greek word, reveal that it has deep spiritual roots.  In fact, the concept of logos can be found in most of the great works describing the history of Christianity, as well as throughout the literature on religion and Western philosophy.

In this regard, one of the first references to logos as “spirit” came from the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, around 500 BC.  The logos of Heraclitus has been interpreted in various ways, as the “logical,” as “meaning,” and as “reason”; but, as the German philosopher Martin Heidegger has pointed out, “What can logic…do if we never begin to pay heed to the logos and follow its initial unfolding?”  To Heraclitus, this “initial unfolding” viewed the logos as responsible for the harmonic order of the universe, as a cosmic law which declared that “One is All and Everything is One.”

The doctrine of the logos was the linchpin of the religious thinking by the Jewish philosopher, Philo of Alexandria, who, while not always consistent in his use of the term, clearly established it as belonging only to the “spiritual” realm.  Indeed, Philo sometimes suggested that the logos is the “highest idea of God that human beings can attain…higher than a way of thinking, more precious than anything that is merely thought.”  For Philo, the logos was Divine, it was the source of energy from which the human soul became manifest.  Consistent with the logocentric character of Philo’s thought, “it is through the Logos and the Logos alone that man is capable of participating in the Divine.”

Moreover, Philo’s confidence in the human mind rests on the self-assurance that the human intellect is ultimately related to the divine Logos, “…being an imprint, or fragment or effulgence of that blessed nature, or…being a portion of the divine ether.”  To Philo, the origins of logos as “spirit” were clearly well documented in the writings of the early Greek philosophers and the theologians of his era.  This kind of interpretation of logos also has received attention most recently in Karen Armstrong’s bestseller, A History of God, in which she notes that St. John had made it clear that Jesus was the Logos and, moreover, that the Logos was God.

DIALOGUE with Deeper Meaning
Interpreting logos in this way, that is, viewing it as a manifestation of spirit or soul, carries with it significant implications, both conceptual and practical.  Dialogue, as a concept, takes on a new and deeper meaning when it is perceived as a group’s accessing a “larger pool of common spirit” through a distinctly spiritual connection between the members.  This suggests more than “collective thinking,” although dialogue certainly is a determinant of such a holistic process.  Spirit flowing through the participants in dialogue leads to collective thinking, which, in turn, facilitates both a common understanding and a common “meaning.”  Furthermore, authentic dialogue enables individuals to acknowledge that they each are part of a greater whole, that they naturally resonate with others within this whole, and that the whole is, indeed, greater than the sum of its various parts.

Herein, however, lies the difficulty associated with engaging people in “authentic” dialogue--it cannot and will not happen if we are “prisoners of our thoughts.”  True dialogue will only occur if the participating stakeholders are willing to enter the spiritual realm of the logos and “converse,” if you will, on this deeper level.  Cognitive, so-called “knowledge-based,” interactions are not sufficient for authentic dialogue to occur.  One must be open and willing to entertain a diversity of thought and discover a common ground by going to a higher ground.  And, to be sure, this is extremely difficult, if not seemingly impossible, for most of us to do, especially when the “stakes” are high.          

I don’t believe that we have to become a “Dalai Lama” to have hope for the future.  I also don’t believe that we have to become a “Dalai Lama” to engage in authentic dialogue with others (and with ourselves).  The Dalai Lama’s call for a “century of dialogue” is not only possible but is within our reach, should we choose to pursue and authentically commit to such a meaningful value and goal.  Once again, this requires that we discover common ground in and through our relationship with others. 
However, “You can never enter into relationship with others if you believe that you have a monopoly on truth.”  I’ll never forget this profound statement, made in the summer of 1996 by the late German Catholic Bishop Hermann Josef Spital at “Mountain House,” the international conference centre in Caux, Switzerland (above Montreux).  At the time, I was President of Renaissance Business Associates, an international nonprofit association of people committed to promoting sound business ethics and elevating the human spirit in the workplace, and was facilitating a dialogue session with participants from some 80 countries at Mountain House. 

Ap_2To say the least, my entire experience at Caux was transformational and I learned more about the process of authentic dialogue in action during my stay at Mountain House than during any other time of my life!  And because I saw firsthand the process working and the positive results that ensued from it, I’m pleased to report that the Dalai Lama’s vision is not as far-fetched as it may initially appear.  (By the way, I was fortunate to be at Mountain House when the Dalai Lama visited and was a speaker!)

So, I ask you:
What are you going to do in your life and work to demonstrate that there is hope for the future, as well as to help create a “century of dialogue” in the world around you?

FOOTNOTE: It is not mere coincidence that Viktor Frankl’s System of Logotherapy, as I describe in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, intends both to “humanize” and “spiritualize” psychotherapy.  Like with the word, dialogue, the root of Logotherapy contains the now familiar to you Greek word, “logos.”

All the best,

Alex

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

Learn more

Poot2020pbNEW 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!

April 27, 2008 in Books, Current Affairs, Innovation, Leadership, Life, Religion, Self-Help, Viktor Frankl, World Issues | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: books, Dalai Lama, dialogue, spirituality, Viktor Frankl

The Power and Meaning of FORGIVENESS

Ap1Getting to forgiveness is perhaps the most challenging thing that we can do to go "beyond ourselves."  This is especially hard to do when we are at work because our emotional ties may not be as strong, and therefore neither is the motivation to forgive.

Forgiveness means letting go of our suffering.  It has much more to do with our own well-being that that of the person we forgive.  When we hold on to our suffering--our resentment, hurt, anger--we are inside ourselves with self-pity.  It becomes a veil through which we see ourselves and others; it becomes something we have to feed, keep alive, and justify.  If we don't, we think we allow the other person to be "right" in their unjust treatment of us.

But forgiveness can be one of the most powerful things we do.  Like any muscle, however, it has to be exercised to work well. Forgiveness can be complicated.  Sometimes we think that it equates to forgetting, diminishing, or condoning the misdeed, but it doesn't.  It has much more to do with freeing ourselves from its hold. Our ability to live our lives with love and generosity is impeded when we don't forgive.  It doesn't mean that we have to love and be generous to the woman who was disloyal to us at work or the man who belittled our ideas at a staff meeting.  It means we forgive them and liberate ourselves from further captivity.  Love and generosity will return in their own time (the same holds true for things that happen to us in our personal lives).

Importantly, when we go beyond ourselves--whether to forgiveness, unselfishness, thoughtfulness, generosity, and understanding toward others--we enter into the "spiritual realm" of meaning.  By giving beyond ourselves, we make our own lives richer.  This is a truth long understood at the heart of all meaningful spiritual traditions.  It's a mystery that can only be experienced.  And when we do experience it, we are in the heart of meaning.  We are no longer "prisoners of our thoughts."

Now ask yourself: Have you ever experienced the spiritual realm of meaning by extending beyond yourself in any of the ways mentioned above?  What is your perspective (and experience) with getting to forgiveness, be it in your personal life or at work? 

If you would like more information about the Logotherapeutic Principle of Self-Transcendence, that is, "Extend Beyond Yourself," see Chapter 10 of my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts: Viktor Frankl's Principles for Discovering Meaning in Life and Work.

Meaningfully,
Alex

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

Learn more

Poot2020pbNEW 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 (the Audiobook CD version won't be released until July 1, 2008). Here is the direct link to Audible.com: Prisoners of Our Thoughts Digital Download
Also available on iTUNES. 

March 23, 2008 in Books, Current Affairs, Life, Religion, Self-Help, Values, Viktor Frankl | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

Tags: books, forgiveness, life, viktor frankl, work

Reflections on MEANINGFUL VALUES

Ap6_2Some years ago, I wrote an article in the Journal for Quality and Participation called "Reflections of a (re)evolutionary."  It is interesting to look back on life and work to see where you were, what has changed , and also what has stayed the same.  In this article I wrote:

Time and experience certainly tend to influence what seems worth having and doing.  In my case, however, these influences have been tempered by the fact that I have maintained over my adult life a set of core values or principles to guide my thoughts and actions.  In effect, these values, which have manifested themselves in different ways over the years, comprise the foundation of my character and emanate from the essence of my very being--my soul, if you will.  It is as if my growth and learning have spiraled higher and higher over time above the very same point.  With the experience of being able to view oneself from a distance, I can now "see" more clearly the contours of my life's journey, with all of its zigs and zags, in some orderly fashion.

This said, my "worth ethic" has always centered on the notion of service, especially public service.  More than 20 years ago, I was committing to causes greater than myself.  To be of service to others, especially to those less fortunate than I, became a "calling";  and the opportunity to challenge the status quo, no matter how much conflict was involved, became a quest worth doing.  From participating in the anti-war effort with SDS [Students for A Democratic Society] during the Vietnam era to helping to fight the "war on poverty" in the inner cities and rural areas of America, my notion of "worthiness" revolved more around the "doing" or experiencing of something of value than it did the "having."  Driven by a core value in which self-fulfillment was always more important than material success, I found myself submerged deeply in what Professor Peter Vaill has termed the "permanent whitewater" of change.  Indeed, I eventually learned, oftentimes the hard way, that you can change without growing but you cannot grow without changing.

Since writing this piece, I recognize that the "permanent whitewater" of change has been ever present.  One reaffirming experience that has deepened the meaning of this earlier message, came when my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, was published. It started what has become a MEANING MINISTRY that is reaching out across the world, one meaning-full experience and opportunity at a time.  As I have written often here, it is a book based on the wisdom of my mentor and teacher, Dr. Viktor Frankl, world renown psychiatrist, holocaust survivor and author of the classic, Man's Search for Meaning. Again, I realize that much has changed in this discovery of deeper meaning and purpose in my life through my connection to his meaning-focused message and legacy, and much has stayed the same. Over the years, I have been able to reaffirm over and over again, like I wrote in the above-mentioned article, that my growth and learning have spiraled higher and higher over time above the very same point. From this vantage point, I believe that it is the authentic commitment to meaningful values and goals (i.e., will to meaning) that has enabled me to navigate, as well as discover the seeds of meaning within, the permanent whitewater of change around me. Who knows, perhaps this is what is meant by the notion of the "path to enlightenment!"

As I travel the world, carrying my message of meaning to and for others, I find myself reflecting upon and learning about my own life in meaningful ways as well. In Prisoners of Our Thoughts, I quote something from Viktor Frankl that is relevant to this very point: "I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system." [Page 25, Emphasis Added]  Put differently, there is a humanistic concept advanced in South Africa called "UBUNTU" in the Zulu language. UBUNTU can be translated roughly into English as "A person is only a person through other persons."  As I also write in Prisoners of Our Thoughts, UBUNTU is not about relationships per se; rather, it is about human-ness and how only human beings can truly establish the human-ness of others (that is, our human-ness can only be truly expressed as a "reflection" of others). Insofar as Viktor Frankl's humanistic (and existential) philosophy is concerned, we must be able to extend beyond ourselves (Principle #7) so that we can fulfill or realize more of ourselves. 

Reflecting on my article in the Journal for Quality and Participation, this is what I meant by having a "set of core values or principles to guide my thoughts and actions."  In the midst of the permanent whitewater that surrounds us all, ultimately, it is our will to meaning that guides us through the labyrinth of life and enables our growth and learning to light the way.  And while this may not appear to be a "revolutionary" concept, because it happens continuously over our life times, it is "(re)evolutionary!"

So, now, ask yourself...
As you walk the labyrinth that is your life, what set of core values or principles guide your thoughts and actions?  Furthermore, how are you applying the concept of UBUNTU so that you can fulfill and realize more of yourself?

All the best,
Alex

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


Poot2020pbNEW EDITION: Prisoners of Our Thoughts
New edition of Prisoners of Our Thoughts in paperback, Audiobook CD, and digital download formats!  Prisoners of Our Thoughts applies Viktor Frankl's philosophy and therapeutic approach to life and work in the 21st century, detailing seven principles for increasing your capacity to deal with life-work challenges, finding meaning in your daily life and work, and achieving your highest potential.  Among other changes, this new edition includes a new chapter on how readers of the hardcover edition have put the seven meaning-centered principles into action, both in their everyday lives and even in extreme situations such as in Indonesia after the tsunami (where several aid agencies adopted the book as part of their training and relief programs) and in post-Katrina New Orleans.

Buy a copy at Amazon.com

May 20, 2007 in Books, Current Affairs, Innovation, Life, Money, Religion, Self-Help, Viktor Frankl | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

WHAT MATTERS IN LIFE? The Search for Meaning

Meaningdificon2_1I received a meaningful comment from Joe Raasch in response to my message, Discovering the JOY in any season. I wanted to share both Joe's comment and my response to him with all of you. As we move into a new year, our exchange offers all of us an opportunity for a new level of discovery of deeper meaning in our lives and work. It also opens the way for a broader dialogue.

JOE RAASCH COMMENT...
Dr. Alex, I just finished a second read of your book. It is becoming clear to me that our society doesn't possess bad intention and not want to find meaning. We just forgot how. Much the same in our search for joy during the holiday season. I celebrate Christmas and see the extended commercialism that some try to use to get that joy. We want it, we just forgot how to find it.

MY RESPONSE TO JOE...
Dear Joe,
Thank you for letting me know that you've read my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, a second time!  And thanks for posting your insightful comment on my meaning blog.  I agree with you that our society doesn't "possess bad intention and not want to find meaning."  As you astutely point out, somewhere along our path we seem to forget how to realize our will to meaning.  And since you've read my book twice, I suspect that now you can see why it was written primarily as a practical, "how-to," guidebook on the search for meaning.  Indeed, I am blessed to have been able to stand on the shoulders of my mentor, Dr. Viktor Frankl, whose life and legacy will forever bring light to darkness by underscoring what really matters in life--the search for meaning.

Remembering "how" to do something, however, is not sufficient cause to bring about authentic and sustainable change.  We must first acknowledge and embrace the "why" of what we intend to accomplish, and this includes our "want to find meaning."  And it is our personal (and collective) responsibility to remember "why" the search for meaning is so important, much in the same way that it is our personal (and collective) responsibility to remember "why" the search for joy (and discovering the deeper "meaning" of joy) during the holiday season is so important. 

To be sure, in a world that is so fast-changing and increasingly complex, it is both more difficult to remember what really matters in life and easier to abdicate our personal responsibility for doing so.  We can always find something or someone else to "blame" for our circumstances and therefore rationalize our attitude or behavior, can't we?!  To truly look within ourselves  and to cut across the grain of something like "extended commercialism" are not especially easy, let alone desirable, paths to follow in the postmodern era even if we supposedly "know how." 

In the late 19th Century, the German psychologist, Dr. Hermann Ebbinghaus, a pioneer in the field of human memory (although studies of memory can be traced to the Greek poet, Simonides, in 477 BC), introduced what he called the "Law of the Forgetting Curve."  In effect, all human beings are prone to forget and unless they actively do something to alter the forgetting curve, the dual challenge of retention and recall quickly becomes formidable.  In fact, studies have demonstrated that the "average" person is bound to forget about 75% of whatever material is presented to her or him within the first 24 hours and over 90% over the course of only 30 days, unless something is done to retain the information in one's consciousness!  So, Joe, you can see that we all have our work cut out for us!  Whether we are seeking to alter the forgetting curve of "how" to find meaning and/or joy (during the holiday season or not), or we are looking to alter the forgetting curve of "why" we need to find meaning (and authentic joy) in our lives, the onus of responsibility falls again upon us.

We must more than "want" something in order not to forget about it.  In fact, if we really know what we "want," that is, we "know" the deeper meaning behind the intention, according to Dr. Frankl, we are more likely to achieve our intention by "forgetting" about it!  In Chapter 10 of my book, I try to illustrate how this logotherapeutic principle actually works.  Although it may seem counter-intuitive to some, our search for joy during the Holiday season--or at any other time in our lives--is not something that we can pursue; rather, it is something that ensues by "extending beyond oneself."  If this doesn't make sense, it may be time for a third reading of Prisoners of Our Thoughts!

Let me know what you think and thanks again for sharing!

What thoughts do you have to add to this dialogue?  Hope you let me know.

...and to all of you,
Happy New Year!

All the best,
Alex 

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

December 31, 2006 in Books, Current Affairs, Innovation, Life, Money, Religion, Self-Help, Viktor Frankl, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

Discovering the JOY in any season

Ap5_3As we look out around the world, there is a lot challenging us to discover the real joy in this season. Maybe for you, it is more personal with memories or realities that leave you feeling less than cheerful, but let's look closer at the possibilities.

In my book, I described it this way: Real cheerfulness is not have-a-nice-day artifice. It's a way of experiencing the present, no matter what the weight of the world or the weather. Cheerfulness celebrates the possibility of meaning around every corner. It buoys us up beyond our individual concerns and invites us and others around us to find something to be happy about. 

It is in the times that challenge us that we need one another's cheer. This is validated by the humanistic concept advanced in South Africa called Ubuntu that not only provides the foundation for African management but also is pertinent to our understanding of self-transcendence. The full expression in Zulu of this concept is UBUNTU NGUMUNTU NGABANTU, translated roughly into English as "A person is only a person through other persons." Importantly, Ubuntu is not about relationships per se; rather, it is about human-ness and how only human beings can establish the human-ness of others. The concept is congruent with Viktor Frankl's humanistic philosophy. I propose that it is because of Ubuntu (that is, our human-ness can only be truly expressed as a “reflection” of others), that self-transcendence occurs. In effect, we must be able to extend beyond ourselves so that we can fulfill or realize more of ourselves. 

The search for meaning in our lives takes us on paths large and small --- paths that sometime challenge us to reach out beyond ourselves to discover the joy in any season. When we go beyond ourselves --- whether in forgiveness, unselfishness, thoughtfulness, generosity and understanding toward others---we enter into the spiritual realm of meaning. By giving beyond ourselves, we make our own lives richer.

"...Life will give you back everything you have given to it.
Your life is not a coincidence. It's a reflection of you!"
--- The Echo

What can you do to move beyond yourself to reflect the joy of any season for others---so you become more yourself?

All the best,
Alex 

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

December 17, 2006 in Books, Current Affairs, Life, Religion, Self-Help, Viktor Frankl | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBack (0)

The LABYRINTH is Like Life

Ap5Because of my Greek family heritage, I've always been fascinated with the Cretan labyrinth, a classical seven-circuit labyrinth dating back more than 4000 years ago. Learn more.

In the Middle Ages, there was a period of rebirth of the labyrinth that brought a new more complex design than the Cretan seven-circuit. One of the oldest remaining labyrinths in the world that came during this time of renewed interest is at the Chartres Cathedral near Paris. Built around 1200, it is one of the ancient eleven-circuit designs, divided into four quadrants. See it and learn more about its history.

The historic labyrinth became meaningful to me, because I saw its close connection to the journey of life itself. A favorite chapter in my book, Prisoners of Our Thoughts, is entitled Labyrinths of Meaning. It is there that I introduce how a labyrinth is like life:

"A labyrinth is not a maze. It is not a puzzle to be solved but a path of meaning to be experienced. Its path is circular and convoluted but it has no dead ends. When we walk the path, we go around short curves and long curves; sometimes we are out on the edge, sometimes we circle around the center. We are never really lost, but we can never quite see where we are going. Along the path we sometimes move forward with ease and confidence; sometimes we creep ahead cautiously; sometimes we find the need to stop and reflect; and sometimes we even feel the urge to retreat.

In so many ways, the labyrinth is like life. The center is there but our path takes us through countless twists and turns. Sometimes we are at the heart of our life experiences, sometimes we are at a playful turn, sometimes we share our path with others, sometimes we don't. No matter what, we are still on the labyrinth. It holds all our experiences in life and in work."

The labyrinth is also a metaphor for what is sacred in our lives. Through its twists and turns, its ancient spaciousness holds everything we experience---our minds and emotions, our physical beings and our spirits, our losses and our gains, our successes and our failures, our joys and our sorrows.  When we walk the path inward, we carry our burdens with us. When we meditate or pray in the center, we ask for grace, forgiveness, and understanding. When we walk the path outward, we are lighter, more joyful and ready yet again to take on life's challenges. As my teacher and mentor, Viktor Frank said...

"I wish to stress that the true meaning of life is to be discovered in the world rather than within man or his own psyche, as though it were a closed system."

Where has the labyrinth of life taken you?

What moments of meaning mark your path?

These are meaning-full questions to ask yourself. Have I piqued your interest? If so, I invite you to learn more about discovering deeper meaning on your personal journey in my book---and of course, I welcome hearing from you.

All the best,
Alex 

Alex Pattakos, Ph.D.
author, Prisoners of Our Thoughts
founder, Center for Meaning
Santa Fe, NM USA  www.themeaningdifference.com

Visit me at my "virtual office at the Global Dialogue Center www.globaldialoguecenter.com/alexpattakos

August 21, 2006 in Books, Innovation, Life, Religion, Self-Help, Viktor Frankl, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)