‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ is a very much acclaimed book, written by internationally distinguished psychiatrist, Victor. E. Frankl who is an Austrian Jew. The author is a holocaust survivor and has witnessed the panic of Nazi rule as he spent several years in the Nazi death camps during the period of World War II. The author in this dark phase of his life learnt some very useful skills and traits of human behavior. He came to know how a man keeps searching the meaning that keeps him motivated in his life. The author as an eminent psychiatrist has developed his own style of psycho analysis, Logotherapy. This paper discusses several aspects of the subject matter and also talks about the book, ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’.
Victor. E. Frankl starts the book by explaining reasons for writing book, ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’. The author then starts telling his story and tragic experience of his initial life. He provides complete details how he reached into the death camps of Auschwitz and how he suffered in these camps. Remembering pain and sufferings of those days, author says that "if someone now asked of us the truth of Dostoevsky's statements that flatly defines man as a being who can get used to anything, we would reply 'yes, a man can get used to anything, but do not ask us how” (Frankl 36). It presents his way of thinking. What does he think and in what way he thinks. It suggests his approach towards the life and suggests what kind of positivity he possesses in his personality and what is he going to give to the readers.
Victor Frankl further talks about how these camps were filled with the Jews and they were subjected to different techniques of torturing in the hands of Nazis. The author also details about his death camp life and how he used to interact with other inmates along with the sufferings that he tolerated in the Nazi death camps. Author says that prisoners were kept hungry; they were given small pieces of breads and watery soups. Author says that all the prisoners of Auschwitz were subjected to regular severe tortures and killing them by torturing was very common. Author says that prisoners developed an uncommon attitude in these worst circumstances and used to seek happiness in small things like sunset and other natural happenings.
He further adds that prison life made the prisoners so tough and depressed that after a certain time they lost all the hopes and positivity. He says “"We came to meadows full of flowers. We saw and realized what they were, but had no feelings about them” (Frankl 109). It is not easy for a reader to understand the kind of pain prisoners of death camps used to suffer but this quote suggests that they were undergoing a huge amount of pain and this pain had left them completely shattered. They had no positive feelings as negativity had occupied their brains.
The author says that there are two kinds of people in every races decent and indecent people. These two kinds of people exist in every society of the world. Author suggests that decent and indecent people are found in every society. There is not a single society on the earth where only decent or only indecent people are found. In this sense there is not a single society on the earth which is absolutely pure or made of only kind of people decent or indecent. Author suggests that in every society both decent and indecent people are found, they exist together but their behavior is quite different. Author says that there were a number of decent people among the Nazis also and they used to behave humanely with the prisoners on the other hand there was the majority of indecent people who were behind torturing of prisoners. Since these indecent people were in majority, they used to kill the Nazis also who were sympathetic to the prisoners. The author also corroborates his arguments with several experiences of his own that he faced during the period of death camps. He gives an example that once a guard gave him a piece of bread and when the war was over, prisoners were liberated and they hid that guard and saved his life. Later on they also helped him in making his living by giving him an employment. Author says that the guard was saved just because of his decency.
Victor Frankl suggests that life of every individual has a meaning for them and it varies from a person to another person. It should not be made general in any case. His special logotherapy theory is very close to existential theory and the same could be used for the assessment of meaning of different situations in one’s life. The author uses his own example and says that he with other holocaust survivors managed to keep them live during the life of death camps and the Second World War by developing a positive thinking and also by seeking a meaning of life. On the other hand he also talks about a number of people who could not manage to sustain and succumbed to their negative thoughts. They were unable to live and see their family after the end of the war.
Victor’s logotherapy is all about to strive about the meaning of life which is the most important and powerful force of a human’s life. Logotherapy is not perfect and there may be some negative situations. People may get frustrated with a lot of negativity in their life but as the author suggests that one must never give up the hope and this is the key of all the success and happiness in the life. Logotherapy believes in the meaning which is a broader concept. It does not believe in existential frustrations rather it believes in the far going results.
The author intends to say through logotherapy that finding the meaning is indispensable and once this is achieved, rest is achieved in an easy way. Author through logotherapy not only counters the views of Nietzsche or Freud but discards them and says that neither pleasure nor avoiding ache is the chief concern of a human being but getting the right meaning in the life is important. He presents his arguments in a broader scenario and adds that even in the situation of pain, if a person manages to get the meaning of life, he overcomes all his pains and achieves the desired things of his life. The author seems to be very practical while delivering this theory. Since he himself has suffered a lot of pains in his life and witnessed some very horrible incidents, his experience seems to be relevant and educating to the others in achieving the desired goals.
The author emerges as a really optimistic person after reading the book. He did not only manage to survive the Nazi death camps but also developed some ultra positive thoughts that are not only useful for him but also very educating for others. He says that irrespective of all the pains in life, one must keep going and this is how one can get the meaning of life. He says that love and not the hate can bring happiness in one’s life. Author says that love, hope and positivity are the things that make the life better and keep it moving ahead irrespective of several negative things. He adds that one must never give up loving, hoping and positivity in life because these are the essence of the life and makes life beautiful in addition to help one to get the meaning of the life.
After having observed the abovementioned detailed analysis of the subject, it is good to conclude that the author has redefined the meaning and goal of life. The author has adopted the positive approach that is useful for several people who are under influence of any kinds of negativity. He talks about the positive things of life that makes life meaningful for people. He talks about the love, hope and positivism and suggests overcoming and avoiding the negativity. The author has a huge personal experience of sufferings in the cruel hands of Nazis. He has learnt a lot of things practically which is not so common for the others. This learning reflects in his book and also his approach towards the life. Interestingly he does not suggest the readers that his book is a true account of all contemporary incidents but he tells them to see it a practical perspective that has been presented for their knowledge.
The book is very meaningful and several people have got benefitted by the positive approach that the author has adopted in his personal life and suggested the same for others through this book. The views of Victor Frankl are not only very modern, practical and positive but the author through his views has successfully presented a new definition and aspect of the life. He suggests the way to the people that leads to a good life with lot of happiness, success and helps a person in avoiding the negative things in his or her life. Victor Frankl’s book is highly acclaimed and one of the best sellers. Every individual should read it once to get acquainted with the path of happiness, success and life.
Works Cited
Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Ultimate Meaning. New York: Ebury Publishing, 2011.
Frankl, Viktor E. Man's Search for Meaning: The Classic Tribute to Hope from the Holocaust. United States of America: Rider, 2011.
Frankl, Viktor Emil. Man's Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, 1984.
—. Man's Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, 2006.
—. Man's search for meaning: an introduction to logotherapy. Boston: Beacon Press, 1963.
—. Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy. United States of America: Simon and Schuster, 1970.
