Man's Search for Meaning, by Dr. Viktor Frankl

 Man's Search for Meaning 

Dr. Viktor Frankl 

Preview 

To get a glimpse of the central theme of this widely popular book, consider this quote by Nietzsche – He who has a why can bear almost any how. An individual’s ability to survive amid extreme despair and hardship is something almost like a miracle. The book expertly addresses the questions like– What keeps a man going in unavoidable sufferings? How can one imbibe the skill to fill that void in one’s life? It picks the reader’s attention to embrace the ideas of finding purpose in one’s life in a very thought-provoking manner.  

 

About the Author 

The book is written by the renowned neurologist and psychiatrist – Dr. Viktor Frankl, the founder of Logotherapy, who also had to spend several years in the concentration camps during the World War II, including the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp. He endured the extreme situations during the Holocaust, lost his family and loved ones but yet found his way to contribute his learning from a psychological standpoint which put him in a unique situation to observe the experiences of others around him and also realized his own will to meaning for life.  

What to expect? 

The book is divided into three sections. Part one talks about Dr. Frankl’s observation of inmates’ Experiences in a Concentration Camp during the second World War. Part two explains Logotherapy in a Nutshell. Moreover, finally, in the postscript of the book, the author talks about the "Case for a Tragic Optimism," which reiterates the human capacity to remain optimistic in trying circumstances.  

Dr. Frankl describes the human race as divided into two categories – and only two – The ones who are decent, and the rest who are indecent. Both these races are to be found everywhere; they penetrate all groups of society. And in that sense, no group consists of a “pure race.” 

About the nature of suffering, it is a relative term, in the author’s words – "To draw an analogy: a man's suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped into an empty chamber, it will fill the chamber completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber. Thus, suffering fills the human soul and conscious mind, no matter whether the suffering is great or little. Therefore, the size of human suffering is relative." 

The wisdom offered in this text remains equally relevant to the current state of affairs. All the cruelty and suffering that we witness people endure around the globe, warrants the need to embrace life more than ever before. 

Key Learnings 

• Life remains meaningful in all situations, the meaning may vary from situation to situation, but never ceases to exist 
• The suffering becomes a lot more endurable once the sufferer finds a meaning to the suffering. 
• The meaning of life is to be discovered in the world outside rather than within. 
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Hell on Earth-The Shock of the concentration camps 

Part one of the book opens with vivid sketches of a prisoner’s journey through the Nazi Concentration Camps, the sequence of events as they unfold, shock even the bravest ones. One such account goes like – "As the train carrying the men pulls at the station and someone breaks the silence with a cry of “Auschwitz!!". Upon hearing this, every passenger was gripped with a broad sense of fear and started mourning the grimness of their situation. After all, the very name itself stood for certain death. However, then the train starts rolling again, and terrified passengers draw a sigh of relief, for they believed that they were saved from the Auschwitz horror, only to find themselves stationed amidst the dreaded camp. 

 

 As the door to their coach is flung open and a few old prisoners storm in, the passengers again experience the same optimism in the face of horror, after sensing the wellbeing of those prisoners, they thought that it might not be as bad as they feared.  

 

After arrival at Auschwitz, prisoners were divided into two groups and sent to take showers in two separate batches. The reality was that one group was supposed to be immediately exterminated in gas chambers, and the other was to be sent to serve in hard labor camps. Not knowing which fate awaits them, most prisoners fell into the delusion of reprieve, feeling that somehow, they were in the right group, a group which would survive, and be spared the horrors. 

 

 

Life in the camps was one of apathy, life after the camps was one of bitterness

The second phase of the camp inmates' state of mind kicked in once the daily hardship and deprivation as a routine settled in. The inmates developed a defense mechanism which was characterized by the "emotional death," as the author puts it. The extreme suffering that one had to endure during the camp life somehow made the prisoners immune to the grimness that surrounded them, the physical and emotional blows dealt by the camp guards, poor health conditions, and the dying fellow inmates.  

 

This apathetic attitude made them focus only on those aspects that helped them, or their loved ones, to survive the challenge at hand. The blunted emotions helped the inmate to witness the daily tortures without suffering from further misery. It was not uncommon for prisoners to grab whatever useful things they could from the leftovers of people who died at the camps, without feeling a sense of remorse or sadness.  

 

While the inmates were apathetic to the goings on around them, many of them led an inner life which gave them the strength to survive. 

Small joys of watching the sunset, or sweet memories of their loved ones, kept the prisoners going. 

 

Most inmates who survived the camps did not exactly jump into their freedom with glee. A hard life in the camps under a prolonged state of apathy, transformed them into detached souls. They found it unable to lead a healthy life and could not come to terms with their new-found freedom. The extreme sufferings that one endured during the imprisonment continued to haunt them.  

 

Later the detachment transformed into feelings of bitterness. It roused feelings of anger and vengeance. After all, it seemed only fair to do unto others what others do unto you! This bitterness and disillusionment threatened to harm their character. It was yet another terrible ordeal for those liberated prisoners of those horrific camps to come to terms with the new reality that was their life. 

Logotherapy and the will to meaning 

His experiences at the concentration camps made Dr. Frankl realize that the inmates who were more resilient were generally those who could ascribe some meaning to their lives. The inmates who did not find or lost any sense which they might have had of their life were the ones who found it tougher to survive.  

Meaning of life is what people are always looking for, and without it, our lives can feel remarkably empty and useless. Indeed, it has been supported by several studies on this matter, that our primary motivation to act, originates from the meaning we ascribe to our life. 

Even without experiencing concentration camps, our lives today are strung in such a fashion that it is incredibly common to find people who think that their lives are devoid of any real meaning. Consider all the people who hate the 9-5 routine which they subscribe to, to earn a living. For many people, life is like a series of weekends, which just rolls by! 

Logotherapy is a modern form of psychotherapy which focuses on the "will to meaning" and recognizes that answering this existential question is very important to live a fulfilled life. It helps people to find their own answers to this question. 

Meaning of life is continuously subject to change 

To believe that the meaning which you ascribe to your life would be constant a year from now or maybe even tomorrow, is wrong. Also wrong is to think that everyone has the same answer to this existential question.  

After all, when everything is going smoothly, and one has all the joys in the world, the mental state one brings to answering this existential question is very different than what one brings when one is down in the dumps. 

A doctor or therapist can't answer for a patient “what is the meaning of life?” in general terms, it is like asking a chess champion - "Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?" There simply is no such thing as the best or even a good move apart from a particular situation in a game, and the specific personality of one's opponent. The same holds for human existence. The meaning could change from person to person, moment to moment, but it remains there invariably. 

Once the meaning is realized, it is stored in the past. Then life acquires a new meaning. This transitory nature of life gives way for a man to actualize the potentialities in a way that makes his existence worthy.  

Meaning of life is to be found in the interactions with the outside world 

While many people believe that discovering the meaning of one's life or uncovering their purpose, is essential before they can do anything, logotherapy suggests that our decisions and acts, and the responsibility which we feel towards them, are the ones that shape and define our purpose. Hence, the meaning is to be found in the world outside, not within us! Consider a famous line from a Hollywood blockbuster which encapsulates this line of thought: "It's not what I am underneath, but what I do, that defines me." 

For Dr. Frankl, the goal of recreating his manuscript, which he had lost early on in the camp, became another reason for living. It gave his life meaning even in the harsh conditions of the camps.  

Meaning of life can also be found through love. Dr. Frankl himself experienced it during his time at the Nazi camp. After losing almost his entire family to the Holocaust, he so longingly imagined his wife’s presence around him and felt that he was able to interact with her. The love which he felt for his wife, gave him a goal and a reason to live. 

The suffering which we experience also has something to teach us. In moments of profound distress, we still have a freedom of choice, and we can choose how to tackle a hopeless situation. The attitude which embraces hope and compassion even in moments of suffering, can give our lives meaning at that moment. 

Frankl also consciously developed a mental attitude to look forward to life by imagining himself delivering lectures on his learnings, and sharing his experiences with others for the greater good. 

Final Summary 

We hope you enjoyed this quid on Man's Search for Meaning. Our survival and our well-being depend directly upon the meaning which our lives have. Dr. Frankl explains that such meaning is transient and that as life goes on, our purpose keeps on changing. Logotherapy is a form of psychotherapy to address the existential vacuum that several of us may find ourselves facing. It guides us to discover our own meaning and tells us, that rather than inside, it is outside, that the answer lies. 

Key Advice 

Choose your attitude in each difficult situation by asking yourself – “Am I being responsible enough to respond in this particular manner?” The answer will lead you to take the best course of action in the particular situation and ultimately result in a fulfilling life as a whole.