“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning

Viktor Emil Frankl (1907 – 1995) was an Austrian psychiatrist who revolutionized psychology by emphasizing the pursuit of meaning in a world filled with suffering. Between 1942 and 1945, Frankl, his parents and his wife bounced between concentration camps, all of whom excluding Frankl, died or were exterminated. Witnessing the despair around him, Frankl observed that the individuals who were able to bear these unjust atrocities, were the ones who carried a greater meaning within themselves. He condensed his experiences and his personal thoughts in his book ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’, which he published in 1947. These findings led to the genesis of Frankl’s Logotherapy (Logo, the Latin word for meaning), a form of therapy built on the presumption that meaning is the main drive of human beings.  

Man’s Search For Meaning first half is a chronicle of Frankl’s personal experiences. The daily struggles of the prisoners were on full display. Frankl described viral outbreaks, and inhumane living conditions. Getting a slice of bread was a triumphant victory for the prisoners. Surprisingly, many were able to endure despite the categorically lethal conditions.

“Medical men among us learned first of all: “Textbooks tell lies!”. Somewhere it is said that man cannot exist without sleep for more than a stated number of hours. Quite wrong! I had been convinced that there were certain things I just could not do: I could not sleep without this or I could not live with that… and yet sleep came and brought oblivion and relief from pain for a few hours.” Pg. 17 

The grim atmosphere contrasted with the unwavering human spirit and capacity for love and kindness. For no particular reason, some prisoners, who had every right to carry malice and hatred, maintained their humour and generosity. Prisoners who mentally succumbed to the misery of their environment, were the first ones gone. It was these moments that seeded in Frankl’s head the idea that human beings are driven by finding what is meaningful to us. 

The novel illuminates the will of humans even in the most degenerate of worlds. In an environment where death and pain are constant, individuals who sought to control their attitude and pursue meaningful connection and purpose, were able to transcend the misery around them. Man’s Search for Meaning is a must-read, for it reminds us of the immense power we have in each one of us. 

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