Man’s Search for Meaning. Viktor E. Frankl
Life is still expecting something from you – Viktor Frankl on the quest for meaning
The quest for meaning. Viktor Frankl’s emotionally powerful memoir is one of the most impactful books you can read on the topic of seeking and living an intentional life no matter what circumstance you experience.
The book unfolds in three sections. First is Frankl’s autobiographical account of his three years in a concentration camp during World War II that included time at Auschwitz (the very name that stood for all that is horrible, p. 9). This section is both a difficult and an inspiring read. Frankl lost everything, his parents, his brother, his pregnant wife, and his original writings on his life work as a psychiatrist. He nearly lost his life several times, yet managed to survive the most inhumane conditions of a concentration camp. Frankl mentions that his intent to tell his story is to share an example that life is meaningful under any condition, no matter how dire the situation may be. Reading this section, one discovers that, even in the severity of suffering and death, there is an enduring profundity of the human spirit.
Life primarily is a quest for meaning. Sigmund Freud
Second, the book provides an overview of his life work on Logotherapy, defined as therapy for the soul by finding meaning in life. Logotherapy is meaning-centered psychotherapy, and focuses on the meaning of human existence as well as humanity’s search for meaning in life. Meaning is the primary motivational force. The meaning of life will be different for each individual and at various stages of one’s life. The meaning of life is constantly changing, growing, and a relentless work in progress. Nonetheless, each person is responsible for seeking one’s own meaning in life.
Frankl also addresses the meaning of suffering. He says that when we are in hopeless situations, when we are no longer able to change an outcome, we are challenged to change ourselves and how we respond to the situation (p. 112). However, suffering is not a requirement to find meaning in life. All of life is an opportunity to find significance. The aim is to seek meaning in one’s life regardless of circumstance.
He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How. Nietzsche
Finally, this particular edition of the book contains the 1984 postscript of Frankl’s insights on tragic optimism. This section reiterates the premise that life is meaningful despite our circumstances. Tragic optimism means to remain hopeful in spite of pain, guilt, or death. (p.137). The point is to make the best of any situation. You have a choice in how you approach your life and in how you seek meaning. Frankl’s enduring insight is that you can have everything you possess taken away by forces beyond your control except for one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation (p. x).
You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you will feel and do about what happens to you. Harold S. Kushner
What is your Why?
At this stage in your life, what is the meaning you are seeking?
Life is still expecting something from you. Viktor Frankl
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