Man’s Search for Meaning

Victor Frankl survived a Nazi extermination camp. Afterwards he could still see the positive in life. A most moving book.

I’ve read this book over and over and highlighted something new every time. Somehow, through the lens of Nazi death camps, Frankl validates everyone’s suffering, including my own. I’ve always known that suffering is an inescapable part of the human experience, but this helped me understand that to the brain, it isn’t relative in the ways I always thought.

Furthermore, this book helped me understand that my coping mechanisms inform suffering’s hold on me. Stories are a coping mechanism, and I learned that redirecting my attention and creating my personal narratives around what is meaningful to me rather than the… show more.

This book is an enduring classic that delves into the depths of human suffering and the remarkable capacity for finding meaning amidst despair. Frankl, a Holocaust survivor, draws upon his harrowing experiences in Nazi concentration camps to explore the psychological and spiritual resilience of the human spirit.

His profound insights into the pursuit of purpose, even in the darkest of times, offer timeless wisdom for anyone facing adversity. Frankl's logotherapy, the therapeutic approach he developed, emphasizes the importance of finding meaning as a cornerstone of mental health and well-being.

I first encountered Frankl’s book as a young teenager. The title… show more.

Besides being one of the best psychologists in mankind's history, Viktor is a masterful storyteller. It's as if I was transported to Auschwitz at the time, where Viktor was imprisoned along with thousands of Jews; in a very compelling way, he leaves no hint of a doubt that it was thanks to his meaning in life that he was able to survive, and the minute that others let go of theirs, they let go of life itself.

In addition, Viktor also shares his logotherapy framework and how it was updated after his terrible experience. If you doubt the power of… show more.

Through the eyes of the writer, I saw compassion, understanding, and a strong spirit of survival as he endures life in a concentration camp.

Living in the twenty-first century, I cannot fathom how people survived and made their way through the holocaust. Today, I deal with what car to buy, what type of mayonnaise is best, or how much time I have to wait for the bus. I think I take a lot for granted because I have never experienced the fears and life-and-death nightmare of war firsthand.

I hope I can say, I might understand a bit about transcendence… show more.

Frankl’s concept of finding meaning in suffering and the idea that our primary drive in life is not pleasure but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful deeply resonates with me.

The book underscores the belief that even in the most difficult of circumstances, we have the freedom to choose our attitudes and responses, a concept that is central to high-performance psychology.

Reading Mr. Frankl’s story of surviving the holocaust and being able to find purpose in the direst of circumstances puts everything in perspective.

Not only is it mind-blowing to think of what he (and others) went through, but he also managed to create meaning and find a way to inspire others. It’s truly remarkable. 

I first came across this book when I was studying at university, and it captures a theme of existentialism – “to live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in suffering”.

One of my favorite quotes from this book is “Those who can find a ‘why’ to live, can bear any ‘how’”. I loved the realistic message that life can be hard, but it also gives hope that we can get through tough times and connect with what matters to us. It opened the door to thinking about what is meaningful to me, and what will make the… show more.

I believe this book should be required reading in every high school and college. It is that profound.

I am overwhelmed as Viktor tells his own story of Jewish imprisonment and death in the Nazi camps during WWII. His intensely personal eye-witness account and survival was inspiring and emotional as well as life changing for me.

It is a book I read again and again, still trying to comprehend his journey to forgiveness for those directly and personally responsible for the terrible atrocities witnessed. And yet he arrived at a place where he completely overcame the horrors and hate that… show more.

The two most powerful forces in our human experience are hope and each other.

In the direst of circumstance, Frankl describes how hope – a belief that tomorrow can be better – and each other can give us the energy, inspiration, and meaning to persevere when the going gets toughest.