Man’s search for meaning

1. Man’s search for meaning Written by: Viktor E. Frankl Power-Point by: Careea Nordè

2. Introduction • The book Man’s Search for Meaning is written by Viktor E. Frankl • It tells about not simply the physical and emotional aspect of being in a concentration camp during the Nazis rise and fall, but also the psychological issues and contradictions that arose as well. In totality what is man made of and how does and should man identify himself. • “I had wanted simply to convey to the reader by way of a concrete example that life holds a potential meaning under any conditions, even the most miserable ones.” Viktor E. Frankl • Because of the nature and content of this book, the next few slides I chose to take quotes directly from the book. There is no way in which I could possibly summarize this book without giving you a piece (even if it is just a snippet) of what I read. I hope you enjoy.

3. The First two quotes that changed my life! “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 our suffering meaning by the way in which we respond to it.” “Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. You cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can always control what you feel and do about what happens to you.” (Frankl, 2006, p.X)

4. 3 phases of the inmate’s • There are 3 phases of mental reaction that the inmate’s go through in camp life. • First is the period of following admission • Second is the period when he is well entrenched in camp routine • Third is the period following his release or liberation

5. The Truth! “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 knew only one thing- which I have learned well by now: Love goes very far beyond the physical of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self.”

6. What is man’s meaning? • “We can answer these questions from experience as well as on principle. The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. There were enough examples, often of heroic nature, which prove that apathy could be overcome, irritability suppressed. Man can preserve a vestige of spiritual freedom, of independence of mind, even in such terrible conditions of psychic and physical stress.

7. Conclusion In concluding this presentation, I end with the revelation that Frankl came to. “An active life serves the purpose of giving man the opportunity to realize values in creative work, while a passive life of enjoyment affords him the opportunity to obtain fulfillment and experiencing beauty, art, or nature. But there is also purpose in life which is almost barren of both creation and enjoyment.”