Introduction
Man’s Search for Meaning is a book written by Viktor E. Frankl. Frankl is a survivor Jew who strives to break down his Holocaust experiences and the consequent development of a new school of psychotherapy dubbed logotherapy. This powerful book is significantly associated with Frankl’s three-year captivity at Auschwitz and other German concentration camps and argues against the perspective that human life revolves around biological responses to stimuli (Pattakos & Dundon, 2017). Instead, Frankl delves into the motivations that kept the survivors in the camps going even in the direst contexts. He stipulates that the three ways to ensure that one finds meaning in life are through creating and doing, loving and experiencing, and through the attitude adopted toward life’s unavoidable suffering. This piece aims to reflect on Frankl’s book and its implication in the contemporary world.
Reflective Quotes
While Frankl’s book is typically classified as a memoir of his years at the German prison camps, it is often perceived to be a unique piece linked to meditation on human existence and a constant reminder that a man’s will to meaning tends to serve as his core motivator in life. The varying quotes and concepts like logotherapy in the book strive to foster an individual’s understanding of themselves through uncovering patterns. This way, the ability to withstand adversity, also dubbed resilience, is enhanced as the book fosters the development of skills like courage, altruism, humor, optimism, acceptance, and responsibility. The seven core quotes in the book and how they resonate with life are discussed below.
Quote 1
In illustrating the experiences of the prisoners in the concentration camps, Frankl asserts that “What essentially was needed was the critical change in the attitude towards life. The prisoners have to learn and teach the despairing men that it does not matter what is expected from life but what life expects from individuals” (Frankl, 1985). The implication is that the prisoners needed to stop questioning life’s meaning and conversely think of themselves as being questioned by life. In this light, the answer should not be in meditation or talk but through the right action and conduct. At the camps, most prisoners would lose their way of living and ended up dying. Focusing on my life, socioeconomic challenges in the contemporary world tend to be unpredictable. I, therefore, have to stick to my why, and it assists me in enduring the situations. Moreover, I strive to ask myself daily whether I am staying true to what life expects. Despite Frankl losing his manuscript upon entering the concertation camps, he strives to re-write it in scraps of paper and his head.
Quote 2
Another quote in the book revolves around love. Frankl asserts that ‘his mind clung to his wife’s image whereby he heard her answering him, smiling and even giving an encouraging look amidst the camp’s struggles’ (Frankl, 1985). The quote inclines to the notion that man’s salvation is linked to love. In instances where man has nothing left, he may still experience and know bliss through the contemplation of beloved ones. Frankl seeks solace in the memories and thoughts of his wife even as the prisoners undergo a tough ordeal in the camps. One early morning, a man marching next to Frankl wonders how their wives would perceive them if they saw them in the current state. In my case, I have been able to undergo the loneliness and challenges linked to the first years of college by clinging to the memories of my siblings and parents.
Quote 3
Another quote Frankl offers is that ‘the medical men in the camps realized that textbooks tell lies, for instance, by asserting that man cannot exist without sleeping for a stipulated number of hours’ (Frankl, 1985). In this regard, Frankl strives to depict that an individual can get used to anything. He gives an ordeal of how the first night in the Auschwitz camp was characterized by sleeping in beds made in tiers. In every tier, nine men had to share two blankets. Such experiences of the prisoners in the camps end up instilling significant levels of confidence in the capabilities of my body and mind. At other times, I find myself working on my art hobby past midnight, and I am always amazed by my body’s resilience. Frankl adds that while the prisoners could not clean their teeth and had a severe vitamin deficiency, they possessed healthier gums.
Quote 4
The fifth quote in the book is that ‘human beings tend to get impacted by their environment unavoidably. However, man is not bound by his environment. For instance, the experiences of the camp depict that man possesses a choice of action. Enough examples prove that apathy can be mitigated and overcome, and man ends up preserving a vestige of independence of mind and spiritual freedom amidst contexts of physical and psychic stress (Frankl, 1985).’ The implication is that an individual can resist the influence of their environment. While Frankl undergoes numerous cruel ordeals like hard labor, being whipped, and starving, he does not let the environment shape his ambition. I resonate with this in life as I always understand that I have a choice in how I react to challenging circumstances like financial stress. In this light, my attitude is critical.
Quote 5
‘An active life offers man the opportunity to realize values in their creative endeavors, while a passive life linked to enjoyment offers him the opportunity to attain fulfillment in experiencing nature, art or beauty. Conversely, there is purpose in life that is nearly barren of enjoyment and creation. In this light, suffering exists as an ineradicable part of life; without it, life would be incomplete (Frankl, 1985). Frankl asserts this as most prisoners believed that life opportunities had already passed. However, Frankl realized that the experiences were an opportunity to turn life into an inner triumph. In my life, I have strived to choose my meaning even when faced with adversities. Most of the time, I remain brave, dignified and take up my cross, for instance, in striving to learn online amid the Covid-19 restrictions.
Quote 6
According to Frankl, ‘the prisoner that lost faith in their future got doomed. The loss of belief in the future meant that he also lost the spiritual hold. He consequently allowed himself to be a subject to physical and mental decay (Frankl, 1985).’ This quote aligns with losing hope and how it can negatively impact an individual. Frankl’s colleague had hoped that the prisoners would gain liberty on March 30th with the war being over. When this did not happen, he despaired and died. In my life, I have strived to encourage my neighbor who has prostate cancer that through hope and the right diet, they can extend their life.
Quote 7
In the book’s second part, Frankl asserts that ‘logotherapy links its technique to paradoxical intention. A phobic patient gets invited to intend and face what they fear (Frankl, 1985).’ Frankl ended up establishing logotherapy amidst his struggles and negative experiences at the camps. The author strives to develop a model that does not delve into blaming childhood or upbringing for varying woes. While psychoanalysis tends to be self-indulgent and backward-looking, logotherapy delves into the active construction of one’s future through restoring purpose. In my case, I once experienced artist’s block. I told myself that I would strive to see how badly I could paint, and my pressure and fear of painting got alleviated.
Closing Paragraph
The overarching theme in the book is that man possesses the right to determine and establish meaning in their life as it is their duty. In this light, the three core strategies that assist individuals in finding meaning in life include creating and doing, loving and experiencing, and fostering a resilient attitude toward life’s unavoidable suffering. Notably, suffering is not a necessary aspect of being loving or creative. It is, therefore, not something that individuals should seek. Nevertheless, suffering is a facet of human life. Only resilient individuals who have control over their attitudes can end up experiencing meaning and happiness in varying life contexts (Pattakos & Dundon, 2017). In the contemporary world, an important virtue revolves around taking action (creating and doing), which is a significant theme in the book. Most individuals do not like to take action and responsibility for their own lives. Conversely, consumerism has made most chase instant gratification, and they are unable to take action, especially when faced with adversity, and therefore lack the patience to wait for the results. At other times, individuals are marred by doubts and cannot find the meaning of life. Frankl’s book and logotherapy framework ensures that one can reframe the question from what is it that one wants from life to what does life want from an individual. This way, an individual can gain clarity and be free to choose how they react to varying contexts in life. Overall, the meaning of life is something that every individual chooses. Like Frankl, finding and pursuing meaning is a sure way to strengthen us in any adversity.
References
Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man’s search for meaning. Simon and Schuster. https://www.nomanszone.org/pdf/Mans_Search_for_Meaning.pdf
Pattakos, A., & Dundon, E. (2017). Prisoners of our thoughts: Viktor Frankl’s principles for discovering meaning in life and work. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. https://www.bkconnection.com/static/Prisoners-of-our-Thoughts-EXCERPT.pdf
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