Man's Search for Meaning discussion

This book was awe inspiring. I will never look at negative situations the same again. What effect did this book have on you?

This book made a compelling argument for how a life of purpose is important. Come up with a purpose and most of your problems become less important.

He had daily conversations with his wife - not knowing where she was, if she was dead or alive. The love of another.......

I have this book as an audio and I also have a couple of paperback copies. I had read the book as a student and found it very difficult to read. I read it again after reading Stephen Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Successful People many years ago. But It is only now after learning tibetan meditation that it really starts to make sense - between the stimulus and the response, there is a gap and in that gap lies your freedom to choose. With Tibetan meditation and mind training, we learn to spend time in "that gap" and choose the outcome. I guess, at first I had only intellectualised the content - now I get a chance to know it from experience. It is clearly a very powerful little book.

I read this book along time ago but once read you this book it will affect you forever. Just by the fact that this man survived the horrors of one of the worst Nazis prison camps of world war two by finding purpose and meaning. His whole theory of phycology is based off his experience in this hell. To sum it up is simply this " we can survive anything in life by finding purpose and meaning". Awesome book, by a truly awesome man.

How person can endure all pain when he has something to live for. We all have a meaning even though we loose everything and everyone (easy said then done), but he lost his family and he started everything a new and helped millions of people to find meaning in their lives. Very inspirational book. I loved it and recommend to all.

Joseph wrote: "I read this book along time ago but once read you this book it will affect you forever. Just by the fact that this man survived the horrors of one of the worst Nazis prison camps of world war two b..."

It was an amazing book and I agree that having a purpose in life is important. Still he had to be an amazingly strong person to deal with what he went through. I am not sure how many people have that kind of strength and belief.

I read the book twice and have been considering reading it again. The first time I couldn't put it down, I was on a psych ward at the time. It has helped me see how and why people suffer unnecessarily. I wrote a paper about a quote form the book. "To suffer unnecessarily is masochistic rather than heroic."

Having focus on a purpose can divert one's attention from the current not so good situations. Beautiful book. Very difficult to do, but it can be done and applied.

I read Man's Search for Meaning a fews years ago. This read was quite a humbling one for me initially! However, it very quickly became my solace during some of my personal trying times! So much, that I mailed a copy to a relative who's life was suddenly impacted overnight by an unexpected monsoon.Viktor Frankl's incredible strength taught me that I can get through/overcome any problem that I am faced with, if I desire/choose to, with perseverance; rather than allowing it to do me in! Viktor Frankl did not only survive, he thrived!

Brilliant book!!!

I consider this book the psychic equivalent of Wittgenstein's "Tractatus" & Jung's "Red Book."

An amazing survival notebook, so to speak.

Sam wrote: "This book was awe inspiring. I will never look at negative situations the same again. What effect did this book have on you?"
Yeah, it has the same effect on me. After reading, I found myself immature for drowning in sadness for a few things in the past. They seemed as nothing compared to what many others have been through and yet they survived with a good spirit.
I used to ponder a meaningful life. The question about the meaning of my life used to disturb me and I found everything around me banal. I got back to a normal state before reading this book but it still has a big impact on me. Now I know how to face this question when it comes back and pokes me.

After having read this book back in the twelfth grade, the author made me think twice about not so much just the physical devastation that concentration camp life had on its prisoners, but the psychological. I like how Frankl has a psychological way of viewing the world on top of him having been a psychiatrist himself. This was the first book I have read in regards to the holocaust and concentration camps that talks more about how the mind dealt with the situation more than the physical. Indeed it is a first for me. And Janine, I like how you say Viktor is the victor. That he was.

It explained to me you can survive anything if you can find a purpose within the confines. I read this about fifteen years ago and it left me thinking ever since. It makes you wonder how some survive and others die.

I was amazed at how Victor talks about how all the salt of the earth blue collar workers were the first to die, while the intellectuals survived much longer. Usually this is not how it is portrayed.

He spoke of those who survived being motivated by what may well be viewed as selfish motives. I found his comments gave an insightful honesty about what drives people to overcome impossible circumstances in the face of evil from tyrants.

Yes, it was very interesting how he talked about those who had "gave up," and were either giving all their possessions away or smoking all their cigarettes. Everyone knew the end was near for such a person for they had given up.

Reading this book caused me to realize that many of those who died of illness, or gave up on life at all, were those who surrendered the will to live. I thought it was interesting how the prisoners would hold off from smoking the rationed cigarettes, and those who did smoke their cigarettes were the ones who gave up on life. Frankl points out that even during the midst of our trials and harshest circumstances, we have to find personal meaning in life. I appreciated how he spoke about existentialism while speaking against nihilism. Our existence as mortal beings needs to have meaning; a nihilistic attitude or behavior means that the their is no meaning.
I really enjoyed this book, and appreciate that it presents the soul of psychology. I'm grateful that Frankl held on tight to his meaning in life, even after his time in the Concentration Camps came to an end, coming home to face the reality that his pregnant wife and entire family had died in the Holocaust.

It helped me to understand that we find meaning in our lives by 1.) Figuring out what we are good at and then 2.) Using what we are good at to help other people.

Michael wrote: "I was amazed at how Victor talks about how all the salt of the earth blue collar workers were the first to die, while the intellectuals survived much longer. Usually this is not how it is portrayed."

Me too! It was quite a shock.

For me..It gives me hope in times of despair..

Han wrote: "Sam wrote: "This book was awe inspiring. I will never look at negative situations the same again. What effect did this book have on you?"
Yeah, it has the same effect on me. After reading, I found ..."

Rachael wrote: "After having read this book back in the twelfth grade, the author made me think twice about not so much just the physical devastation that concentration camp life had on its prisoners, but the psyc..."

Hi Rachael, thank you! I appreciate your comment, it made me smile! As both of my teenage sons thought that that part of my comment was cheesy:)) Also, I agree with your take on the psychological effects on all of those victims and unjustified prisoners! The strong sure do survive;)

when one picks up this book it becomes almost impossible to put down. It was a beautiful story of courage, strength, and keeping hope regardless of what was happening at the time. Frankl was a man who did not allow for his situation to overpower his soul, though there were moments of weakness, there was never a moment of doubt.

Beverly wrote: "He spoke of those who survived being motivated by what may well be viewed as selfish motives. I found his comments gave an insightful honesty about what drives people to overcome impossible circums..."

Could we view the survivors' desire and motivation to make-it, as them being self-full? (As selfish as this may sound) and at the same time they were probably very hopeful that their loved ones were still alive. Further, the hope of eventually reuniting with their families helped to keep them strong and determined to survive!

Janine,
I totally agree with your "take" on this. Thanks for your insightful comments.
Bev D

Thank you as well Beverly for your insights:) I appreciate your feedback!

It was so awesome I can’t stress enough. I think I still need to read it at lest twice.
I learnt many things. One think I can remember on top of my head is live your life like it’s the second time. I also learned many things I think that’s enough.

This book changed my life, period. Understanding that having a purpose doesn’t have to be something cosmic or what we think is important. What’s important is realizing what will give life some meaning, for those who need that 'comfort.

Wow !! this book makes me think the banality of our day to day problems which we exaggerate in our minds. The hardships that author had to go through makes me feel that there a meaning to the suffering. Completely changed the way I think about suffering.

Hope. If you have a reason to believe in tomorrow you will find a way to make it there. Humans are faith based creatures. Atheists, Hindus, Buddhist, everyone has to believe and this book shows when you lose faith and vision of tomorrow you will really never see it. It also shows just the strength someone can have to endure those conditions and not give in when that seems like the sane option. It takes a certain level on insanity almost to continue to keep living.

The book was quite short, and pretty weird combination of fragmented story and introduction to logotherapy. First part was a little disappointing - the story didn't develop in any meaningful way, we didn't got to know any characters, even author personal thoughts are not that memorable. The second part was definitely for me, topic was not really that interesting.
Not that great overall.