I just finished listening to the audiobook 'Man's Search For Meaning' by Viktor Frankl, a jew and former brain surgeon who was forced into a concentration camp where he observed a lot of pain and had deeper insights into the will to live.
Viktor Frankl writes about his experience in the camp and the inhumane things that happened there, not as a way to share his story, but rather to illustrate a better picture of our purpose and desire for life. It's a weighty book, but absolutely fascinating to hear how far we can really be pushed before we have given our all. He really writes about how big an impact our will to live has on our longevity, and oftentimes, those who give up tend to die shortly after.
One thing that really caught my attention was the desensitization of cruelty and inhumanity that they all grew accustomed to. Not only that, but there was a 'higher' rank of a prisoner in the camp, where they had more favor with the guards and often treated their fellow inmates with cruelty and almost acted as spies, while still being beaten and forced to work, though just not as hard.
It's really eye-opening, and I'm happy I read the book. It really confirms my thoughts on mindset being almost everything in life, and how you look at things really defines how you live and the quality of living.
Viktor Frankl outlines the "psychotherapy" where you immerse yourself in something to look forward to, finding something beautiful and great.
Key takeaways:
1) WW2 concentration camps were battles in themselves
2) The will to live oftentimes defines if you do or don't
3) Mindset really is everything we can overcome the worst tragedies if we have a hopeful spirit