Logos is deeper than logic. We have within us a deep, intuitive grasp of meaning. This inner guide is more reliable than rational explanations and it is in our best interest to trust it.
The logotherapeutic goal is to identify the meaning crisis and uncover the client’s intuitive sense that will allow them to make meaningful choices. To this end, the logotherapist does not sit with a pen and paper to carefully gather lots of information about what is happening. The facts are important (and will be revealed in due time) but they are not nearly as important as your personal interpretation of the facts. How do you feel about having to deal with this problem? What do you believe about yourself because of it? Most of all: How is this issue challenging you to find a meaningful way to respond to it?
We trust that our inner wisdom will tell us what to do even though we can be mistaken. Where does belief in our intuitive sense of meaning come from?
To answer we will explore the verse But see, this I did find: God made men plain, but they have engaged in too much reasoning. (Ecclesiastes 7:29) [An alternative translation: God made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions.]
Goodness is built into us. Good choices come naturally. Another element of our natural state is positive emotions of joyfulness, dignity and trust. But bitter and depressed clients have lost touch with their nature. Fear, shame and stress then disrupt the nervous system and have a detrimental effect.
What is ‘too much reasoning’ and how does it cause us to lose our natural emotions, our natural goodness and our ability to make meaningful choices?
A very interesting answer is given by rabbi Natan of Nemirov. We have within us, in addition to our natural goodness, a tendency to self-sabotage. But our natural goodness would easily overcome this were it not for the influence of other people!
Why does the social sphere negate natural goodness? Intuitively, I know what I have to do. In social interaction logic and reason are employed to formulate a picture of truth. Although my intellectual understanding is limited in scope, I believe that only my perspective represents truth when in fact it is only part of the truth, and partial truth is falsehood.
From the beginning of creation, as soon as there was a ‘they’, a world with two human beings instead of one, there was conflict, controversy and hatred. One perspective is pitted against the other, until the proliferation of opinions creates more and more controversy, conflict and hatred. You have created man upright, capable of naturally loving his fellow man, but reason gets in the way.
There is nothing wrong with people having differences of opinion. Each individual is unique and has a unique perspective. We need each other. So what is the solution?
You can be gracious and allow someone to hold a different opinion or you can say, I need your perspective in order to see the whole truth because I can only see part of it. The second attitude takes relationships to a whole new level.
There is a profound idea here and a powerful opportunity given to humankind. We live in a world of differentiation. The solution is to see unity in diversity. God created each person with a different perspective for the express purpose of joining their perspectives.
The diversity of changing events, the diversity of perspectives and the diversity of everything originates in one unity. The solution that rabbi Natan suggests is to recognize every event as divinely guided and have in mind one intention only: to connect to God through this event, whether enjoyable or distressing, and to recognize the one unity that encompasses all perspectives. (Hil. Ribit 5:1 p. 193)
We can say something similar about meaning. Everything that happens is an opportunity to connect to meaning. When the focus is on the meaning of the situation and what response it requires, attention is taken away from the need to please others, the need to surpass others and the need to dominate others. Energy is redirected toward meaningful choices and by extension towards meaningful connection with others.
Then, instead of society negating the individual, the individual enhances society.