Man's Search for Meaning

Book Review by Supongla

Man’s Search for Meaning written by Viktor E. Frankl is about the account of his horrific experiences in the Concentration camp, operated by Nazis in Germany occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust.

The author share the phases of experience in the concentration camp through which he ascertained the meaning of life. After watching the movies like Shawshank Redemption and Life is beautiful, this book was a good read to have a clearer view on the prisoners mental juggle for survival of the fittest. 

Imagine, possessing only a naked body with a number imprinted on your body that determines who you are, an official pointing left or right that decides on the matter of your life or death, desperately snatching food and clothing from dead prisoners, escaping cannibalism in the nick of the time. Through all these experiences, he learnt some thoughtful lessons, some of which are mentioned below:

• I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved.

• Those who know how close the connection is between the state of mind of a man-his courage and hope, or lack of them- and the state of immunity of his body will understand that the sudden loss of hope and courage can have a deadly effect.

• The crowning experience of all for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear anymore – except his GOD.

• Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s way.

In the second part of the book, the author explains a psychological treatment theory developed by him called “Logotherapy”. Logotherapy focuses on the life meaning to be fulfilled by the patient in his future rather than the present. I find the second part of the book boring as it is based on technicality of Psychiatry and Logotherapy.