Man's Search For Meaning is for everyone who would want to live a meaningful life. This book is also for all those who have a goal in life to help others find a meaning for their life.
Professor Frankl indicates three sources for meaning in life: doing significant work , selfless love for your beloved, and showing courage during difficult and trying times.
Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer. A man who becomes conscious of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life.
After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright. So, let us be alert; alert in a twofold sense: Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know what is at stake. View all 23 comments. Aug 21, Maxwell rated it liked it Shelves: audiobook , owned , non-fiction.
I have to separate the emotional impact of the first half of the book from my overall impression on how effective the book was as a whole. It's really difficult not to find stories of the holocaust incredibly gripping, and the way in which Frankl speaks of his experience is inspiring and yet still maintains that gravity you'd expect from such a narrative.
However, the latter half of the book delves much more into a psychological, and less personal, examination of 'logotherapy' that is, the autho I have to separate the emotional impact of the first half of the book from my overall impression on how effective the book was as a whole. However, the latter half of the book delves much more into a psychological, and less personal, examination of 'logotherapy' that is, the author's personal psychological theory. Once it became more of a text book with small sections reflecting on specific terms and theories, it was difficult to stay engaged.
I also felt it lacked the cohesiveness that the first part of the book had with a more linear narrative structure. Nonetheless, the nuggets of wisdom I gleaned from this book were worth the reading. And I can only commend Frankl on his 'tragic optimism' in such a horrific environment as a Nazi concentration camp.
View all 3 comments. After the Book of Mormon, this would be my second recommendation to anyone looking for purpose in life. Here's a poignant excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the book when Frankl has been in Auschwitz and other camps for several years and doesn't know the war is only weeks away from ending.
He had decided to escape his camp near Dachau with a friend and was visiting some of his patients for the last time. In a tired voice he asked me, 'You too, are getting out?
After my round I returned to him. Again a hopeless look greeted me and somehow I felt it to be an accusation. The unpleasant feeling that had gripped me as soon as I had told my friend I would escape with him became more intense.
Suddenly I decided to take fate into my own hands for once. I ran out of the hut and told my friend that I could not go with him. As soon as I had told him with finality that I had made up my mind to stay with my patients, the unhappy feeling left me. I did not know what the following days would bring, but I had gained an inward peace that I had never experienced before. I returned to the hut, sat down on the boards at my countryman's feet and tried to comfort him While potty training, bending over to clean up a handful of toys for the the thousandth time that day, scraping Play Dough off of a filthy kitchen floor on hands and knees, and preparing the fifth snack of the day for several hungry mouths directly after doing the dishes from the previous snack I find the text of this book to give profound meaning to small and simple acts of selflessness, patience, and service.
What a profound reminder that "The immediate influence of behavior is always more effective than that of words. Bravo to Viktor Frankl for bringing human frailty and greatness into perspective. View all 22 comments. I never thought the book would actually deal with psychiatry, neuroses and some basic mental health issues.
The book just ended. Did it just end? Like end?! I was so enjoying the concepts and the writing. Loved the later half of the book more. This book is so informative and insightful from a very practical point of view, historically relevant and quite helpful from a medical point of view.
It helps that the author is from the said field and he just wrote everything important in such a concise manner that you just cannot afford to skip a word. I have less information about concentration camps or the history behind it. But yes, this book is like 80 percent more than that. This is not a story of survival or a description of how the author suffered during those days. Of course, suffering was there.
And oh, how the author described suffering in a new light attached to the meaning of life! I really loved the writing. This book is going to help me in both my personal as well as my profession. This book will remain next to me. If I were to annotate this book, I would have to just highlight each and every sentence of part two of the book.
I will definitely reread this book. Because life's meaning isn't constant. And yes, I need that motivation and life's understanding as discussed in this short book. Loved it so much! Thanks to my Instagram buddies who recommended this book at one of my recent posts. View 2 comments. This is not a book on the specifics of torture, or other such inhumane things, but a prisoner's psychological impacts cau "no one has the right to do wrong, not even if wrong has been done to them.
This is not a book on the specifics of torture, or other such inhumane things, but a prisoner's psychological impacts caused from numerous hardships.
Frankl incorporates his own experiences while trying to find common ground among the prisoners and how one must survive when all else is lost. The first autobiographical section is followed by an evaluation of the adapted methodology, in which the author clearly describes the fundamentals of the basics and specifics on this school of thought. This is a very unique interpretation as to how a man should live, while allowing reader to relate his own experiences and to see life in a different perspective.
And yet is not this transitoriness a reminder that challenges us to make the best possible use of each moment of our lives? From until , the Jews were held captive and systematically massacred in the concentration camps under the Nazi territories. The covert methods of this genocide included starvation, heavy manual labor under severe conditions, torture, hanging in the gallows, then mass murders, gas chambers, and crematoriums—methods that, by the final stages of the war, had already decimated approximately 11 million people.
Upon captivity, all possessions were taken away from the prisoners, names replaced by numbers, not a strand of hair left unshaven on their bodies. They were forced to toil like animals, despite their serious malnourishment, and slumber in abominably small bunk beds like stacks of corpses.
They found no meaning in prolonging their unjustifiable suffering. View all 14 comments. Oct 30, K. Absolutely rated it liked it Recommended to K. Shelves: essays , non-fiction. The sun is slowly rising up ushering the dawning of a new day.
The mother and the father are sipping their first cups of coffee. Their schooling children are rising up from their bed. She bathes, feeds them their breakfast and makes sure that their things are all in their individual school bags. Para Kanino Ka Bumabangon? He says that the life of each one of us has its own meaning. That meaning cannot be generalized. Using his horrendous experiences at Auschwitz concentration camp, which he narrated in the first part of this book, he said that he and the other survivors kept themselves alive by imaging and looking forward to their lives after the war.
Those who felt hopeless and they could not picture themselves reuniting with their families after the war, perished. As if they had no longer any reason for living and thus they chose to die rather than to survive. He also said that we should not ask for the meaning of our life. Rather, we should ask what life wants from us. I have read several books about the holocaust.
This was the first time I heard that a prisoner could well, almost successfully escape the camp. The second part of the book is more on clinical analysis and theories about logotheraphy which Frankl pioneered. It is similar to psychotherapy but this one is more forward-looking. Rather than power or pleasure, logotherapy is founded upon the belief that it is the striving to find a meaning in one's life that is the primary, most powerful motivating and driving force in humans.
Source: Wikipedia. And this striving to find a meaning is the reason why we wake up each morning. Ikaw, para kanino ka bumabangon? View all 17 comments. Aug 10, Trevor I sometimes get notified of comments rated it really liked it Shelves: psychology , history.
And this book is harrowing — particularly the first half or so — the pain is infinite. I was also keen to find out what he felt he learnt from this experience about how to live a good life. I have to say that I found this part of the book quite unsatisfying. Yes, I think the Buddha said something similar.
That life is better with a meaning is also hardly novel either, although, I guess not something the Buddha said, so much. I feel awful writing this review, by the way. It feels disrespectful to criticise a book written by someone who lived through something so utterly unimaginable and disgusting.
As he makes too clear, sometimes we can look into the abyss and learn nothing from it at all. View all 19 comments. This is a fascinating book by a psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust. The first part, which I loved, is the author's story about how he endured the concentration camps. Frankl's purpose in describing his time in Auschwitz and other camps was not to dwell on the horrors -- though there were plenty of those -- but instead to focus on how prisoners found meaning in their lives and how they chose to survive.
The book's foreword has a good summary of the ideas to come: "Terrible as it was, his exp This is a fascinating book by a psychiatrist who survived the Holocaust. The book's foreword has a good summary of the ideas to come: "Terrible as it was, his experience in Auschwitz reinforced what was already one of his key ideas: Life is not primarily a quest for pleasure, as Freud believed, or a quest for power, as Alfred Adler taught, but a quest for meaning.
The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life. Frankl saw three possible sources for meaning: in work doing something significant , in love caring for another person , and in courage during difficult times. Suffering in and of itself is meaningless; we give suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it.
In the midst of hell on earth, he had the brilliant focus of a scholar who was trying to see beyond the present and into greater human truths. At spare moments in his work at doctoring sick patients in the camp, he would jot down ideas for a manuscript. And one night when prisoners were forced to march in the bitter cold, Frankl was wondering if his wife was still alive when he had a realization: "A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers.
The truth -- that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.
I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. Those who focused on their reasons for living had a better chance of survival. They may 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 -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.
The edition that I read had a lovely afterword giving more details about Frankl's life and the impact of his work. One story was about a young Israeli soldier who had lost both his legs in battle and who was depressed and suicidal. Then the soldier became more serene after reading Man's Search for Meaning.
When Frankl's camp was finally liberated by the Red Cross in , he moved to Vienna. He discovered that he was all alone -- his wife, parents and brother had all died in the camps. Frankl chose to resume his career as a psychiatrist, wrote several books and gave innumerable lectures. In one of his classes he was asked to express the meaning of his own life in one sentence. He wrote it down and asked his students to guess what had been written: "After some moments of quiet reflection, a student surprised Frankl by saying, 'The meaning of your life is to help others find the meaning of theirs.
But the first part of this book is so powerful and memorable that I've raised it back up to a 5. View all 13 comments. Mar 15, J. Sutton rated it really liked it. In Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl begins his description of life in Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz with the premise that life in the camps represents a provisional existence. In what must have seemed hopeless circumstances, is there any point in searching for meaning for one's life? Frankl does not dwell on the atrocities, but he does detail the mindset of his fellow prisoners facing what most of them knew was their death as well as the death of their loved ones.
Using In Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl begins his description of life in Nazi concentration camps including Auschwitz with the premise that life in the camps represents a provisional existence. Using his experiences as a guide, he outlines his ideas about logotherapy while finding reason to hold to a 'tragic optimism.
Apr 25, Wendyslc rated it it was amazing Recommends it for: anyone over Reading this book in high school changed my life. I grew up in an abusive home and was in constant survival mode. After reading this book I realized that I had a choice. I could let my circumstances dictate my attitude or I could choose my attitude, which could then change my circumstances. Becoming an adult is the hardest thing we ever do. Being an adult means accepting responsibility for your thoughts, actions and character.
I realized that I can choose my thoughts and actions regardless of my Reading this book in high school changed my life. I realized that I can choose my thoughts and actions regardless of my past or present after reading this book. I finally understood that work and life are good. As I discipline my attitude, I have more opportunities for service. I can teach with love and have compassion for all around me. I can serve with a humble attitude, which gives my existence meaning. This book enlightened me and helped me to expand my ability to practice patience.
I am more positive. I understand that all humans are striving everyday. What I think and choose to do are under my control. I can choose an attitude with a long term perspective and motivate my life to a higher meaning. This is the ultimate book on self motivation. View 1 comment. Nov 27, Roy Lotz rated it liked it Shelves: medicine-and-disease.
An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior. Viktor Frankl, at the age of 39, was sent to a concentration camp to endure dehumanizing conditions while being used for slave labor. While there, he lost his brother, mother, and wife. Upon his release, he re-commenced developing and teaching his own brand of therapy: logotherapy. This book is a rather strange hybrid. In the first part, Frankl gives an overview of his time in the camps, paying special attention to the psycho An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior.
In the first part, Frankl gives an overview of his time in the camps, paying special attention to the psychological repercussions of being so inhumanely treated. This leads to a general overview of his psychological theories, in part two, in which he argues that the search for meaning is of fundamental importance to the human psyche. I feel odd saying this, but the book left me feeling a bit cold.
I found his descriptions of the concentration camp to be, however gruesome and depressing, somewhat detached in tone, which prevented me from being deeply affected. I do think he did a skillful job in conveying the day-to-day horrors of the experience; but the fact that this description is simply the foreground to a therapeutic theory somewhat detracts from its force, in my opinion.
This therapeutic technique relies on helping patients to find a meaning in their lives. The theory all just seemed like a bunch of vague talk to me. I found it to be little more than a collection of platitudes. Perhaps I am unimpressed because we have already absorbed much of this existentialist-tinged psychotherapy into our culture? But if you're curious, I recommend you read the book. It is short enough to be read in a day, and yet packs an impressive amount of narration and thought into its pages.
Jun 09, Thomas rated it it was amazing Shelves: nonfiction , five-stars , psychology. While reading Man's Search for Meaning , I could not stop thinking: why can't I be a psychologist now? By the time I reached page , I wanted to highlight passage after passage, or at least add them to my favorite quotes on Goodreads to preserve their impact forever. Frankl divides his inspiring book into two parts. The first describes his experience living in Nazi death camps and how he dealt with the doom and decay that always surrounded him.
He laces his story with astute, dispassionate obser While reading Man's Search for Meaning , I could not stop thinking: why can't I be a psychologist now? He laces his story with astute, dispassionate observations about his emotions and the suffering of those around him.
The second section explores a type of therapy that arose from his time in the death camps: logotherapy. Logotherapy focuses on helping people find meaning in their lives, to give them a greater sense of purpose and to push them past the obstacles they face. He writes that people can discover meaning in three different ways: 1 by creating a work or doing a deed, 2 by experiencing something or encountering someone, and 3 by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering this last option is only meaningful when the first two are unavailable.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those interested in psychology, or those who want to read an inspiring tale by someone who survived the Nazi death camps and used his experience to transcend himself.
Frankl veers into the spiritual side in the second portion of the book, which might perturb a few people, but for the most part he keeps his ideas open to everyone.
For the rest of the review I'm just going to write down all of the book because it was so good a few of the quotes about logotherapy that stood out to me, so I can reference them later on. Feel free to read or skip. Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he must recognize that it is he who is asked.
In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by becoming responsible. I have termed this constitutive characteristic 'the self-transcendence of human existence. The more one forgets himself - by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love - the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself.
What is self-actualization is not an attainable aim at all, for the simple reason that the more one would strive for it, the more he would miss it. In other words, self-actualization is possible only as a side-effect of self-transcendence. Sometimes the frustrated will to meaning is vicariously compensated for by a will to power, including the most primitive form of the will to power, the will to money. In other cases, the place of frustrated will is meaning is taken by the will to pleasure.
That is why existential frustration often eventuates in sexual compensation. We can observe in such cases that the sexual libido becomes rampant in the existential vacuum. Perhaps I will purchase a copy, then. View all 6 comments. There must be something wrong with me. This is a book that everyone is supposed to love.
But I didn't. It cultivates a kind of mental strength in you. I don't know about others but I recommend this book for every one who is searching for meaning in life. It teaches us great lession never give up Flipkart Customer Certified Buyer , Hooghly. Quality of books print is not great, doesn't encourage fast smooth reading However the content of the subject helps to over rule this handicap to good extent.
Mithun Mukundan Certified Buyer. This is one of THE BEST book I have read in a long time -highly inspirational, truly autobiographical , and admirably free from any kind of self projection. A short book of about pages , it carries within its pages profound yet simple truths of life written in a very reader friendly style. Questions and Answers. Q: how is the English language is it tough or easy to read for average student?
A: Itz not so hard. Mostly easy, and anyways u always have a dictionary don't u!. Thank you. Vipin Katekhaye. Report Abuse. Q: What's the topic of this book? A: How to command yourself in worst ever situations.
Himanshu Mishra. Q: How many pafes does it consist? Flipkart Customer. Q: Is there Tamil edition available?? Laxmi Books. Q: This is a hardcover book or not? Q: Can I gift this book to my English teacher? Q: Malayalam edition available or not. Q: Is the book hardcover? Q: Is this book fictional?
A: no mam it's a true story about a person struggle through Nazi camps.. Q: Why haven't i got any bookmark along with the book? How is logotherapy used today? Logotherapy can be used to treat a wide range of issues that are existential in nature. More specifically, logotherapy has been found effective in the treatment of substance abuse, posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety. How do I find meaning in life? Some people find that the meaning of life is to have a career, get married, and raise a family.
Step Out of Your Comfort Zone. The term comfort zone is code for a place you live in yourself without fear. Find Your Joy. Listen To Your Intuition. Appreciate The Individual Moments. What OS means life? The meaning of life, or the answer to the question: "What is the meaning of life?
Scientific contributions focus primarily on describing related empirical facts about the universe, exploring the context and parameters concerning the "how" of life. What are the three main avenues for reaching meaning in life? Is suffering the meaning of life? More specifically Nietzsche believed that the ubiquitous need for there to be a meaning to life is caused by the fact that life is filled with suffering, pain, loss, fear, anxiety, and ends not in happiness but in death. How do we achieve self actualization Frankl?
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