Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning” has to be one of the best life-saving books I have ever read. It’s indeed a profoundly impactful and inspirational work.

Viktor Frankl was a Holocaust survivor and a renowned neurologist and psychiatrist. His personal experiences in Nazi concentration camps deeply influenced his perspective on human psychology and the quest for meaning in life. “Man’s Search for Meaning” is a testament to his resilience and the enduring human spirit.

The book is divided into two parts. In the first part, Frankl shares his experiences and observations as a concentration camp inmate, vividly describing the dehumanizing conditions and the daily struggle for survival. He highlights the psychological challenges faced by prisoners, including the loss of their freedom and the constant threat of death.

The second part of the book delves into Frankl’s psychotherapeutic approach, logotherapy, which focuses on the importance of finding meaning in life. He argues that even in the most harrowing circumstances, individuals can maintain their inner freedom by choosing their attitudes toward suffering. He believes that we have the power to find purpose and meaning through our actions and the values we hold dear.

Frankl’s book is a powerful reminder that, regardless of external circumstances, our inner world and the pursuit of meaning can provide us with the strength to endure and thrive. His work has had a lasting impact on psychology, philosophy, and the field of trauma therapy, as it underscores the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” What is this? “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Viktor Frankl