When I created this blog, I made my URL frankl-fan.blogspot.com. This was before reading Man's Search for Meaning, or any other piece of writing my Viktor E. Frankl. I've now completed his famous memoir that combines the life of a prisoner with Frankl's theory logotherapy, and I am definitely a Frankl fan. Man's Search for Meaning is a short book, about 150 pages, but it contains an immense amount of life lessons and explanations of various methods of psychoanalysis, all while Frankl reflects on his life as a concentration camp prisoner. It's an easy read, but I often found myself re-reading passages just to let his words sink in a little more. Several of these passages made a strong impression on me. They are the kind of statements that require you to reflect on your own life, the kind of statements that can change your outlook on life. I will include a few of these passages below:
"And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate." pg 66
"To the others of us, the mediocre and the half-hearted, the words of Bismarck could be applied: 'Life is like being at the dentist. You always think that the worst is still to come, and yet it is over already." Varying this we could say that most men in a concentration camp believed that the real opportunities of life had passed. Yet, in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make a victory of those experiences turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoner." pg 72
"We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life-daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." pg 77
All of these passages have something in common; they are all relatable to everyday life. While at first Man's Search for Meaning seems like a recap of concentration camp events, I think Frankl's true purpose in writing this book was to relate these events to life. He does this extremely successfully as you've read in the passages above. The first passage is a reminder that you are always able to decide your attitude towards a seemingly awful situation. The second allows the reader to reflect on their past choices towards their attitude. And the third is Frankl's definition of the meaning of life. The latter was the most enlightening passage of the whole book for me. Everyone has debated the meaning of life, and I'd always hold the stance that a) I didn't know or b) there wasn't one set meaning. Frankl's theory that life's meaning is the ability to respond to life supports the idea that the meaning of life differs from person to person.
With that being said, Man's Search for Meaning is a book meant for any and every one. It can be related to almost every problem faced during life, and offers some advice, and guidance on how to deal with such problems. I'd highly recommend this book, because I can guarantee it will influence your outlook on life, and how you're living it.
"And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate." pg 66
"To the others of us, the mediocre and the half-hearted, the words of Bismarck could be applied: 'Life is like being at the dentist. You always think that the worst is still to come, and yet it is over already." Varying this we could say that most men in a concentration camp believed that the real opportunities of life had passed. Yet, in reality, there was an opportunity and a challenge. One could make a victory of those experiences turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoner." pg 72
"We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life-daily and hourly. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual." pg 77
All of these passages have something in common; they are all relatable to everyday life. While at first Man's Search for Meaning seems like a recap of concentration camp events, I think Frankl's true purpose in writing this book was to relate these events to life. He does this extremely successfully as you've read in the passages above. The first passage is a reminder that you are always able to decide your attitude towards a seemingly awful situation. The second allows the reader to reflect on their past choices towards their attitude. And the third is Frankl's definition of the meaning of life. The latter was the most enlightening passage of the whole book for me. Everyone has debated the meaning of life, and I'd always hold the stance that a) I didn't know or b) there wasn't one set meaning. Frankl's theory that life's meaning is the ability to respond to life supports the idea that the meaning of life differs from person to person.
With that being said, Man's Search for Meaning is a book meant for any and every one. It can be related to almost every problem faced during life, and offers some advice, and guidance on how to deal with such problems. I'd highly recommend this book, because I can guarantee it will influence your outlook on life, and how you're living it.
I love how you can describe this book as "not just about the holocaust" but about something much deeper. The fact that the author used this book as an opportunity to share life values is very cool. Reading about a subject you are interested and getting some life advice along the way doesn't seem like a bad deal at all. I would definitely read this!
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