Finding our ‘why’: Re-creating meaning for a burnt-out nation
One of the most poignant and relevant psychological works to emerge from the shards of the Holocaust were the writings of Viktor Frankl. Frankl a Psychiatrist and Neurologist who survived the Theresienstadt and Aushwitz concentration camps and went on to author the international bestseller, Man’s search for meaning. He understood that the emergence from such hellish conditions was not conditional on what objective traumas you undergo, rather the stance from which you approach them. He wrote that from the depths of despair, if you are able to find just a scrap of purpose or meaning, this can serve as your lighthouse and guide to bring light into the darkness.
Frankl’s central thesis has grown in popularity over the past two-plus years as it was the lesson that was famously passed on by slain hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin to his fellow captives and has formed the basis to some of the leading therapies in the wake of burnout following the global COVID-19 pandemic.
As a people, we are suffering from the ongoing effects of a seemingly endless war. Our work at METIV, the Israel Psychotrauma Center, has, together with more acute PTSD work, focused on the effects of continuous traumatic stress exposure and unpacking the emotional exhaustion, burnout and sense of hopelessness that is associated with ongoing and unpredictable war.
We know from the research on workplace burnout and also the evolving field of continuous traumatic stress that a sense of meaning and purpose is one of the main victims to such a condition. We call it emotional fatigue but it is far beyond a tiredness which can be rested. It is a tiredness that numbs, that makes us feel almost robotic in our completion of daily tasks and relationships. It makes experiences, which would ordinarily arouse feelings of care, empathy or love, feel detached or forced.
It follows then that the upcoming memorial days, ones which ordinarily bring up strong emotional experiences, may be dampened, pushed aside or avoided, given our current emotional state. Furthermore, the sirens, which may trigger fear and despair in many, may also do little to connect to the meaning of the national memorial days.
I would argue that while it may be difficult, honoring the memorial days and celebrating Independence Day, recalling the story of our people and the birth of our national home, may also help reconnect us to why we are fighting for this fledgling county. While not instinctive in such a depleted state, making meaning from our history and our national story during this difficult period may be especially important this year.
My five-year-old told me in the car this morning that he had learnt the story of the pioneers in kindergarten. He recalled with pride our visit to the Ein Shemer Courtyard museum where he was shown how after seven years of struggle, they finally were able to find and tap into an underground source of water.
As a currently fragmented people spread across Israel and the Diaspora, experiencing the uncertainties of war, our soldiers still fighting at our borders and overseas, and the increase in antisemitism worldwide, it is easy to forget our national story. We have a strong national story of a wandering people, drawn back to the land of our forefathers, offered the opportunity for self-determination, a calendar centered around our holy days and a home where we can both determine our own safety and security. We certainly have a history of dark periods, destruction and hate, but from such depths, we have stories of growth, development and pride.
We still have a long way to go before we perfect how we treat both our people and others in our land, but woe be to us if we lose our connection to our story: A story of heroes and victims, of dark days and hope, of unity and faith. Our national days are our legacy to our children, and they are also the burden from which we remind ourselves of our true values, from where we came and to where we need to strive. They may be difficult to emotionally connect to this year, but we must try, for ourselves and for the future of our country.
