“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space lies our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” This quote by Viktor Frankl, the Viennese psychiatrist, neurologist, and Holocaust survivor, captures one of the central insights of human existence: no matter the external circumstances surrounding us, we always have the freedom to choose how we respond internally.

This freedom is not just a theoretical concept but a practical tool for everyday life – and a core element of psychological therapies that focus on meaning, mindfulness, and personal responsibility, such as Frankl’s logotherapy and existential analysis. In this blog post, I want to not only explain the “space between stimulus and response” but also show how we can consciously use and train it in a therapeutic context.

Viktor Frankl: Freedom in the Face of the Unimaginable

Viktor Frankl’s life was shaped by extreme experiences that revealed the essence of human freedom. During his internment in concentration camps, he experienced total dehumanization, losing possessions, family, and social bonds. Under these inhumane conditions, he realized something crucial: even when everything is taken from us – our thoughts, our relationships, our freedom to act – there remains a final freedom: the freedom to choose our inner response.

This insight became the foundation of his psychotherapeutic approach, logotherapy and existential analysis. Unlike traditional approaches that primarily address symptoms, Frankl’s method focuses on the search for meaning. By recognizing that we can determine how we respond to external stimuli, people gain a form of autonomy that persists even under the most adverse circumstances.

The Space Between Stimulus and Response

We all know the moments when a stimulus, in the form of an emotion, rises within us – anger, fear, disappointment, guilt – and we react reflexively. This reflex, sometimes called “automatic pilot behavior,” is evolutionarily useful: it allows for fast responses in dangerous situations. However, in everyday life, it often leads to conflicts, stress, or low self-esteem.

Frankl speaks of a space between stimulus and response, where we can pause, reflect, and choose a conscious response. This space is the true field of human freedom and personal development.

Typical Everyday Examples

1. Traffic: Someone cuts you off while merging.
   • Stimulus: Anger rises.
   • Reflex: Honking, cursing, adrenaline spike.
   • Frankl-Space: “Wait – do I need to take this personally? Is it worth it?”
2. Critical message at work:
   • Stimulus: Feeling attacked.
   • Reflex: Immediate defense, justification.
   • Frankl-Space: “What exactly bothers me? Is there perhaps a point I can use constructively?”
3. Withdrawal of a loved one:
   • Stimulus: Insecurity, fear, hurt.
   • Reflex: Applying pressure, withdrawing oneself.
   • Frankl-Space: “Can I let this be? Ask questions? Show understanding?”

In all examples, the key difference is that the reaction is not reflexive but consciously chosen. In psychotherapy, this ability is trained to build long-term emotional resilience.

Psychological Approach: Logotherapy and Therapeutic Practice

Logotherapy, also called existential analysis, is a therapeutic approach that emphasizes the search for meaning. Frankl observed that people can survive even extreme conditions if they find meaning in their actions. This insight has practical applications in psychotherapy:

1. Identifying Triggers:
Therapy often begins with patients observing their automatic responses to stimuli. Typical triggers include:

• Anger
• Withdrawal
• Guilt
• Justification

By naming these reflexes consciously, patients gain the ability to interrupt them.

2. The Space as a Therapeutic Tool:
Once triggers are recognized, the “space” between stimulus and response can be trained in therapy through methods such as:

• Pausing: Breath breaks or short mindfulness exercises.
• Reflection: Asking, “Is what I feel only about the current situation, or does it touch old wounds?”
• Taking responsibility: “What can I consciously do right now?”

3. Meaning as an Inner Resource:
Logotherapy teaches that a person is not only defined by external circumstances but by the meaning they assign to life. When patients learn that they can act freely within the space between stimulus and response, they experience deep self-efficacy and inner freedom.

Training the Space: Practical Methods

The space between stimulus and response is often very small in everyday life. How can we expand and consciously use it? Psychological research and therapy suggest several approaches:

1. Conscious breathing:
   A short, deep breath signals the nervous system that there is no immediate danger, interrupting autopilot reactions. Even a few seconds can be enough to stop a reflexive response.
2. Observing feelings:
   Patients are encouraged to notice emotions without immediately acting on or suppressing them. Simply observing creates mental distance.
3. Trigger reflection:
   Strong reactions often involve past patterns. In therapy, the question “Why am I reacting so strongly now? Is this an old pattern?” helps identify conditioning and allows conscious choice.
4. The 3-second rule:
   A simple technique: pause for three seconds before responding to a stimulus. In that brief moment, you can consider which response aligns with your values and is constructive.

Examples in Therapeutic Practice

In logotherapy, the benefits of this approach appear in multiple areas:

• Stress management: Patients learn that anger, fear, or frustration need not be acted upon automatically. Conscious responses reduce stress and prevent escalation.
• Conflict resolution: Instead of reacting reflexively, individuals pause and seek solutions that consider both their own and others’ interests.
• Self-esteem improvement: Recognizing the ability to choose responses fosters a sense of control and self-efficacy, especially helpful for depression, anxiety, and trauma.

Typical therapy scenario: A patient reports anger outbursts toward their partner. Instead of accepting anger as an unchangeable reaction, they practice breathing and reflection techniques in session to interrupt the response. Over time, their “space” expands, allowing for calmer, more constructive reactions.

Takeaway for Everyday Life

Some simple but effective strategies for daily practice:

• When a stimulus arises, try not to react immediately.
• Pause, breathe consciously, and ask: “What is possible in this space between stimulus and response?”
• Observe your feelings, recognize old patterns, and consciously choose your response.

This practice is a form of psychological self-care, enhancing emotional stability and promoting personal growth.

Conclusion: Freedom in Small Moments

The space between stimulus and response is small but powerful. It is where awareness, responsibility, and freedom converge. Viktor Frankl demonstrated that even under the most extreme conditions, this freedom can never be taken away. Modern psychotherapy systematically uses this space to help people act consciously, find meaning, and strengthen emotional resilience.

When we learn to enter this space, we gain the freedom to not be driven by external circumstances but to choose our inner attitude. This is one of the most valuable skills we can cultivate – both in therapy and in everyday life.

Do you want to learn how to expand your space and gain freedom in your thinking and actions? Let’s talk about it in a free initial session!

References:

• Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 habits of highly effective people: Powerful lessons in personal change. New York, NY: Free Press.
• Frankl, Viktor E. (2005). „…trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen: Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager“. (Originaltitel: Man’s Search for Meaning, 1946). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag.