Deformed Time Part II: Goals and Dangers

by John R. SedivycloseAuthor: John R. Sedivy Name: John R. Sedivy
Email: john@capecodbranding.com
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In Part I of this series I had discussed the concepts of “deformed time” and “unlimited provisional existence” as identified by Viktor Frankl is his book “Man’s Search For Meaning”. I had discussed how this concept not only applies to someone in extreme hardship such as a person in Viktor Frankl’s experience as a concentration camp prisoner, but may also be as readily applied to the unemployed individual and even the entrepreneur. Today I will further elaborate on this theme.

The Importance Of Goals
When relating the concept of deformed time to the example of an unemployed man Frankl states that:

“A man who could not see the end of his provisional existence was not able to aim at an ultimate goal in life. He ceased living in the future, in contrast to a man living in normal life.”

A person living a “normal life” usually works hard to not only maintain presence but also sets goals that will, once achieved, make the individual and/or their family’s life better. The person suffering from deformed time has no concept of this, they feel as if their ordeal will not end, so in turn there is difficulty in visualizing and setting goals, let alone achieving them.

This individual also has the tendency to look to the past in order to make the present less real. We have all done this at one point or another, looking back at past events that may have been good, or even mediocre, forgetting the challenges, or even discomfort that occurred during that time – in order to escape the present. This has also been referred to as looking back with rose colored glasses.

Dangers Of Deformed Time
Viktor Frankl states that the real dangers of deformed time is that it becomes easy to overlook opportunities in the present:

“Such people forgot that often it is just such an exceptionally difficult external situation which gives man the opportunity to grow spiritually beyond himself.”

Individuals experiencing deformed time see the trying circumstance as something to be endured rather than the opportunity to grow. They may merely shut their mind off and place one foot in front of the other, mindlessly plodding along until either the situation, or their life comes to an end. Frankl had provided an example of such individuals that he had encountered during his time as a prisoner -

“Instead of taking the camp’s difficulties as a test of their inner strength, they did not take their life seriously and despised it as something of no consequence. They preferred to close their eyes and live in the past. Life for such people became meaningless.”

Basically what Frankl is saying is that for those who undergo tremendous suffering, there is also tremendous opportunity. The trick is to recognize it as such, embrace the suffering, and reshape it to make yourself stronger when you come out the other side of the ordeal. It is all based on your perception and handling of the situation.

To Be Continued…
In the conclusion to this series I will discuss why only a few are capable of overcoming the condition of deformed time when encountering the most trying of circumstances. In addition I will discuss further how this relates to unemployment and entrepreneurship.

Are you experiencing suffering that may be an opportunity for tremendous growth?

-John R. Sedivy of Cape Cod Branding

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