Reviewed by: Zahra
“It doesn’t matter what we expect something from life but rather what life expects from us.”
Man’s search for meaning is a book which was written by an Austrian Jewish psychiatrist named Victor E. Frankl who spent several years of his life in concentration camps during World War ll. He was born in 1905 and studied neurology and psychiatry at the university of Vienna. He wrote 39 books and he is considered to be one of the moral heroes of the 20th century. The English translation of Man’s search for meaning got published in 1959 and this book soon became an international bestseller and more than 4 million copies got published of this book.
Number of people are interested to read this book because of his story of triumph over difficulty. Specially, this book is for those who want to search of the truth that how a man can overcome adversity. This book was one of the greatest books for me to find courage in my life. This book has a great contribution in my life because it really changed me. It provides us great theories and evidence. This book has been divided into two sections.
The first is titled “experiences in a concentration camp” and the second is titled “logotheraphy in a nutshell”. However it has been told in the book that if we have a purpose in our lives, means we can overcome adversity in a great way because when we have purpose in our lives, it becomes easier to find meaning in our lives. Moreover, Frankl’s wife and most of his family members were killed in concentration camps and he was served badly with other prisoners.
In his surrounding, 24 hours people were dying due to hunger, due to gases and some by these situations lost hope and courage but for Victor Frankl every moment was meaningful because he always focused on people’s behaviors. He has mentioned in the book that like him also there were a lot of prisoners who didn’t get disappointed and even found happiness in the sorrow and for these kind of people situations are like challenges. Actually in concentration camps, the dreams of people were snatched and the remaining thing was the choosing ability how people reacted in these situations.
Furthermore the real meaning of living is to suffer because if there is a purpose in life also in dying and suffering there is a purpose but no human being on Earth can tell what the purpose is because everyone’s purpose is different and the work of people is to find that purpose as take the responsibilities. Due to Frankl, the meaning of living is to find the answers of real problems and to be responsible for everything that is important. Frankl said in the book “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting their last piece of bread. They might have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing the last of the human freedoms.” It means to choose someone’s attitude in any condition as to choose one’s own way. He has also told in the book that what we have in our lives if we have nothing of the world who are we if we do not have our degrees, our family, our home and our name? If all are taken from us, what defines us? What keeps us going ? And why?
Another he has told that during his psychiatric work he found some patients that meaning was very important in their lives and the one who doesn’t have meaning, they would have the problems of anger and were depressed. He also said that meaning did not mean a comfortable life, success or money. In today’s world if we see mostly people want to live, but they have no reason to live and Frankl has named this situation ‘Existential Vacuum’. The one who are suffering from this they would have 3 symptoms of this.
1. Depression .
2. 2. Anger.
3. 3. Addiction.
4. On top of at all, due to people’s observation basis a new therapy was named by Frankl is known ‘Logotheraphy’ which means ‘meaning therapy’. Like a guide , this therapy guides people and helps them to find the purpose and meaning of life. Frankl has said that we can find meanings in our lives by three ways.
5. 1. To do some work or to pursue a goal.
6. Because if someone doesn’t have a goal in life, he wastes his life aimlessly. Frankl said that if you are passionate for everything, make it the mission of your life because if you don’t have a passion , hobby or interest, you cannot know what your goal is.
7. 2. To make good relationships.
8. For Frankl love and relationship were two different things.
9. He said for him love doesn’t mean to have lovely feelings but instead real love is to recognize the real potential such as to make opportunities for children, to understand their brothers and sisters about their lives, to support their friends when they are alone. This is love. Specially no one on earth can know the other person’s nature until they don’t love them. 10. 3. To bear your suffering and take its responsibilities.
11. Frankl has given his own example and said that when he was suffering, he imagined myself giving lecture on psychology. Due to this, his all pains and sorrow got filled with meaning. In addition, he also advised us that when we are in difficulties or feeling bad, we must find a use of that problem and ask ourselves how can we make this situation valuable?
12. He also said that we can’t avoid our pains and disappointment but suffering is a choice and is dependent on you that you compare your suffering with a lucky person means who is not suffering or you compare your sufferings with the one whose experiences are worst than you and feel lucky with your life.
Every person in the world faces this situation if they are in concentration camps or in normal lives and if only you don’t give up or complain, you can find the inner things which can make you feel happy.”It is what we make if what we have, not what we are given , that separates one man from another.”
Published in Daily Makran Times
Daily Makran Times 