Mans Search for Meaning

About the Book: Mans Search for Meaning

In his gripping memoir, Mans Search For Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl speaks about his transformational experiences and observations from the time he fought to survive in concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Mans Search For Meaning is the autobiographical account of Viktor E. Frankls harrowing experiences in various concentration camps during the Holocaust.

Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist who hailed from Vienna. In 1942, he was sent to a concentration camp for the first time. Between 1942 to 1945, when he was finally freed by the Americans, he spent life at four different concentration camps. During this period, he lost his parents, his pregnant wife, and his brother to the gruesome concentration camps.

During his stay at the concentration camps, Frankl observed the behavior of the other inmates. His observations gave him deep insights into human behavior and life. He began to notice that the inmates who helped and provided solace to others managed to endure the trauma and lived to see another day. On the other hand, the inmates who let themselves be physically and mentally overpowered by the traumatizing circumstances did not survive long.

He observed that the external influences of the camp did not influence a prisoner as much as the strength of his or her inner self. This drove him to the conclusion that those prisoners who gradually let go of their inner selves eventually succumbed to the horrors of the concentration camp. But those who held on to their inner strength, managed to survive even the most trying experiences.

Frankl discovered that mans ultimate desire in life is to search for purpose-a purpose that resonates with his desire to live.

Through his book, Frankl offers readers the insight that suffering cannot be avoided, it can only be conquered. He insists one must learn to cope with struggles positively, find meaning in them, and move forward with a renewed sense of purpose.

In 1997, at the time of Frankls demise, the book had sold over 10 million copies in 24 languages. It remains a highly influential book to date.

About the Author: Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor E. Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist, neurologist, and the founder of Logotherapy. He was also a Holocaust survivor.

His works include Mans Search For Meaning, The Unheard Cry For Meaning, The Will To Meaning, Psychotherapy and Existentialism, and On The Theory And Therapy of Mental Disorders.

His writing was deeply influenced by his experiences in concentration camps. It espoused his belief in existentialism, and shaped his therapeutic as well as philosophical views on life.

Frankl was born in a Jewish family as Viktor Emil Frankl on March 26, 1905, in Leopoldstadt, Vienna. In 1923, he graduated from Gymnasium, having written a paper on the psychology of philosophical thinking. He went on to study medicine at the University of Vienna. He started practicing independently in 1937. In 1940, he became the head of the neurological department at Rothschild Hospital. Frankl married Tilly Grosser in 1941.

In 1942, he was bundled off to a concentration camp with his family. He was released after three years, and his life in the concentration camps formed a powerful foundation for his Logotherapy and Existential analysis. In 1985, he was awarded the Oskar Pfister award by the American Psychiatric Association for his invaluable contribution to psychiatry. He passed away on September 2, 1997.