“Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life...”
Aviva Gros Margalit Logotherapist & Life Coach
The Psychology of Fear: From Survival to Meaning
Fear is something we all know intimately. It can show up as sweaty palms, a racing heartbeat, or a sudden freeze when we feel threatened. While often uncomfortable, fear is not our enemy — it’s a powerful messenger and survival tool. The key is not to erase fear, but to understand what it’s telling us and how we can grow through it.
The Science of Fear
When your brain senses danger, the amygdala flips a switch. Stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol surge through your body, your breathing quickens, and your muscles tense. This is the classic fight-or-flight response — your body preparing you to either confront the danger or run from it.
But fear also affects your mind. The rational part of your brain, the cerebral cortex, can temporarily shut down, making it hard to think clearly. That’s why you may overreact to something harmless, like jumping at a loud noise or panicking in a haunted house.
Interestingly, fear and pleasure are closely linked. Some people love horror movies or rollercoasters because fear releases dopamine — the brain’s “pleasure chemical” — turning the experience into a thrill.
Fear as a Challenge
While science explains how fear works, it doesn’t tell us what to do with fear. That’s where Logotherapy, Viktor Frankl’s meaning-centered approach, adds another layer.
Fear can be seen as an invitation — a challenge to grow. Facing fear doesn’t mean we stop being afraid; it means we choose to act despite the fear. Every time we step forward, even trembling, we strengthen our courage.
The Logotherapy Perspective
Frankl taught that meaning can be found even in struggle. Through self-transcendence — shifting focus from ourselves to something greater, whether love, purpose, or values — we rise above fear’s grip. Fear becomes less about what threatens us and more about what calls us forward.
For example:
A parent may face their fear of speaking up to advocate for their child.
Someone grieving may face the fear of being vulnerable again in new relationships.
A teenager might face the fear of failing but still try out for the team.
In each case, meaning gives courage.
What Fear Communicates
Fear isn’t just a nuisance — it communicates something important:
“This matters to me.” We don’t fear what we don’t care about.
“Pay attention.” Fear sharpens our awareness.
“There is a choice.” We can shrink back or step forward.
When we listen deeply, fear points us toward our values and our potential.
Living Beyond Fear
Fear is part of being human, but it doesn’t have to control our lives. By combining the science of fear with the wisdom of Logotherapy, we can see fear not only as a survival mechanism, but as a teacher.
Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is choosing to act with meaning, even when we are afraid.
Viktor Frankl's metaphor 'the best move in chess'
In his book Mans Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl uses the metaphor of 'the best move in chess' for the challenges we face in life. We all have the same pieces, can learn the same moves and strategies and there are rules to playing the game. The success of the game depends on the knowledge, experience and personality of the player. Mere knowledge of the game isn’t enough, as to play the game successfully the player needs to know the correct move for the situation in the moment; the past moves influence our present but are gone, they have contributed to how we choose to act in the now and we cannot know our future moves, we can only use the knowledge and experience we have to choose what move to make in the present moment. The same applies to our lives, we need to decide and choose what is the best decision to make or action to take 'within the limits of our ability' (that is, to do our best) for the given moment, with the knowledge that while it will affect the future, we have no control over what we face. Frankl explains that when faced with a suicidal person we must show them that their behaviour is that of the chess player who when faced with a situation that they feel is too difficult to bear, they sweep the pieces off the board, breaking the rules of the game, choosing to end the game, instead of finding a solution the problem that they face. They need to realize that a game of worth that is played well and with meaning, is not easy; it is challenging, with triumphs, successes and losses and while the goal is to win, there is value and meaning in the moves that are made, importance in every moment experienced, regardless of the length of the game and its ending. I believe that there are situations where the metaphor of boxing is more appropriate. Here too there are universal rules of engagement and moves that we can learn; strength and knowledge that can be gained and used, awareness of the strengths and weaknesses of oneself and one's opponent, flexibility and awareness to act and react according to the situation of each moment. Experience, flexibility, courage, determination, noelogic, psychic and somatic strength, belief in oneself and a higher power and acceptance give advantage, but most important of all is that one can find and have meaning and value in what we do, what we are and what is. It is vital to accept that there will be unavoidable suffering and to do what we can to avoid or minimize avoidable suffering using skill, wisdom and experience; when we get knocked down to rise and continue to fight. but when unable to rise we make the choice to rest and heal so that we can regain strength for the next fight, to learn from our mistake or loss and turn a negative experience into a positive. Viktor Frankl emphasizes that the moves that we makes must be made within the limits of our ability, that our inner state or temperament must be taken into consideration and that within the limits imposed by the situation to "make the best move at any given time" (The Dr. and the Soul, p60). That we cannot decide beforehand what moves or decisions will be made and that we have the responsibility to make the best choice for the situation and specific moment and to act to the best of our ability.
The Logotherapeutic Belief that There Cannot Be Any Lost Causes
A lost cause presumes that there is no hope, no meaning and no point, that there is no possibility for change or success, no choice or responsibility and no meaning. The Logotherapeutic belief is the opposite, that there are no lost causes, that until our last breath there is a fight to be fought, meaning to be found, values to actualize, choice to make, responsibility to take, hope. The prisoner on death row, awaiting execution; the terminally ill patient, can live a life of meaning and all that it entails, as the importance lies in each meaningful, valuable, precious, important and unique moment. It is unimportant how many moments there may be as the importance lies in maximizing the potential of each one. Suffering, illness, the approach of death, may be the catalysts that bring forth the potentialities and capabilities that were lacking during life until that point. Frankl spoke of "crabbing", if we want to achieve a goal, that we need to aim higher as by aiming only for the goal itself, we underachieve. Deciding that someone or something is a lost cause results in a lack of potential and hope and is contrary to Logotherapeutic beliefs such as values, responsibility, conscience and self-transcendence.
Spiritual Elasticity
Viktor Frankl writes of the importance of spiritual elasticity as a necessary action with regards to frustration, lack of success, diminished or loss of meaning with regards to personal values. If, for whatever reason, we are unable to actualize our chosen values then we must be flexible in our ability to discover others. I believe that spiritual elasticity is vital for any aspects of life, as we are constantly faced with barriers and without the ability to be flexible, we will not be able to succeed or continue. I see both life and the necessity for this flexibility as if it were a stream, we must flow like water, when we come upon something blocking our path, we must gently change direction, flowing around, under or above to continue our way.
Fundamental Human Suffering
To be human is to experience suffering. The goal is to find meaning despite suffering and that with positive attitudinal values there is achievement to be found within. In life one can be sick, either somatically, psychically or noelogically and not experience suffering. There is suffering beyond sickness, a fundamental human suffering that is experienced due to the very nature of life, of existence; cases may occur where existential analysis via the Logotherapeutic approach is appropriate in order to enable a person's capability for acknowledging and experiencing suffering as there are times where man can only find fulfillment through genuine suffering and its ability for the actualization of attitudinal values. This is the opposite approach to other psychotherapeutic methods, such as psychoanalysis, where the aim is to bring focus on being capable of pursuits based on the id. There is accomplishment to be found from the struggle and achievements born of human suffering.
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