MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING

MAN'S SEARCH FOR MEANING by Viktor E. Frankl

Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir of his time spent in a Nazi concentration camp is a powerful read. Man's Search for Meaning is the story of Frankl's experiences plus his observations of suffering and how some were able to survive and others gave up the will to live. At the core of his observations is his disagreement with Freud that when people are lacking pleasure they fall into a state of depression. Frankl's observations led him to conclude that when people lack meaning in their life (a sense of purpose) they tend to give up hope. This message is as true today as it was then. Suffering will always be with us in life in different amounts. When we have a clear purpose we tend to be able to push through those times and make it through to the other side. As with other concentration camp reads, this book deals with a lot of deep suffering. However it is very thought provoking.