Man's Search For Meaning

Rating:
Summary: Touched my heart
Review: Some quotes from the book which i liked:
To live is to suffer to survive is to find meaning in the suffering. He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how. A man can get used to anything but do not ask how. Set me like a seal upon thy heart, love is as strong as death. There is only one thing that i dread, not to be worthy for my sufferings.

Dr. Frankl's idea of meaning is a bit unnatural and i believe it would be fair to say that he sees this as a kind of religion. The first part of the book which tells the story of Frankl's horrific experience in Nazi camps was a great read. I have not read such a touching text for a long time.

Rating:
Summary: Critical Thinking Review
Review: Introduction
A very well writen book by a man that has had to endure a tremendous amount of physical and emotional punishment. Frankel's main argument is that a human being can overcome almost anytihng in life if they can find their meaning for living. By using some of his own perosnal experiences and others' as well, he is able to illustrate that his argument of meaning is true. By using his personal experiences and observatoins it is very clear to see that his argument that by finding a true meaning or desire a human being can hold on for what they believe in.

Argument summary
Frankel's main premises in the first half of the book are that even under the most extreme circumstances, as in Frankel's time in a Nazi concentration camp, a person who has something to live for can and will survive. For Frankel it was his wife that he constantly thought about and strived to live for. He had observations of people emotionaly giving up, which led to sickness and death. The conclusions of his arguments are that if a person finds their meaning for life, in Frankel's case his wife, and they never give up hope for them then a person can overcome almost anything as long as you don't give up.

Critical Evaluation
Frankel's arguments are of good reasoning and deductively valid. If a person has nothing to live for, nothing to strive for, then that person is not going to live or strive for anything. It is this very simple yet very strong emotion that makes it possible for people to go on and continue. If a person finds true meaning for their life then that person will do everything in their power to keep that meaning and that meaning will keep them striving forward. His arguments do not seem to contain any fallacies. In fact if you look at the fallacy of look who's talking, Frankel is doing exactly the opposite. He is practicing what he preaches if you want to put it that way. Not only is he arguing that if you find a means of continuance then it is possible to go on, but he also has personal experience with this. His times in the concentration camps and not giving up on hope and having his wife as a means of continuance prove that he is not commiting such a fallacy for example. The only negative I have to say against Frankel's arguments are that once he makes one, as in his argument that logotherapy is the meaning of life and existence, he seems to ramble and lead to something a little of course. Besides this, I find his arguments to be stellar and in my mind prove to be a very heartfilled and emotionally lifting read.

Conclusion
Frankel's experiences not only prove that the human soul is very powerful as long as you give yourself a means to go on, to strive for what not only what you believe, but prove that almost anything is possible. Using his own personal experiences and observations amongst others, he not only proves these arguments but lets you into his life of meaning. Throughout the book Frankel is numerously quoting Nietzsche which is a strong support for his argument that human beings need to find meaning in order to survive. I am going to leave you with the quote that is most often quoted, "He who has a why to live can bear with almost any how".


Rating:
Summary: The kind of book you'll read more than once
Review: This book has helped me through so many difficult times in my life. It is full of truths. It will cause you to question why you are here but will not give you any clues to the answer. The answers are within you

Rating:
Summary: The importance of 'meaning' in life
Review: The fundamental insight of Frankl's book that having a ' meaning or purpose' in one's life is central to one's survival and well- being on one hand seems obvious, on another most profound. It is however interesting that Frankl's account is somewhat contradicted by the experience of another of the 'survivors' Primo Levi. For Levi survival depended a great deal on one's good luck, regardless of one's attitude or virtue. I think in general that those like Frankl and Levi who survived the ' worse horror ' have a kind of authenticity as witnesses which obliges us to give what they say, special attention and consideration.
In this sense I think too that Frankl's central insight about our being moral creatures, who can help make meaning in our lives even in the most extreme circumstances is a very significant one.

Rating:
Summary: From Concentration Camp Survivor to Respected Psychiatrist
Review: +++++

This book, by Professor of Neurology and Psychiatry (at the University of Vienna Medical School) Dr. Viktor Frankl (1905 to 1997) has five divisions:

(1) Preface by the Gordon Allport. (Comprises 4 pages.) Allport was formerly a professor of psychology at Harvard. It was mainly through his efforts that Frankl's work was introduced to North America. Here he highlights key aspects of Frankl's book. I agree with him when he says:

"A psychiatrist who personally has faced such extremity [of spending three years at Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps] is a psychiatrist worth listening to. He, if anyone, should be able to view our human condition wisely and with compassion."

(2) A recent preface by Frankl where he discusses his book (first published in German in 1946) and other significant matters. (3 pages.) He states the true intention of his book:

"I...wanted simply to convey to the reader by way of concrete example that life holds a potential meaning under any conditions, even the most miserable ones."

(3) Frankl's actual book. (130 pages.) It consists of two parts, "Experiences in a Concentration Camp" and "Logotherapy in a Nutshell" respectively. (Logotherapy was the psychotherapy developed by Frankl.) More of this division will be explained
below.

(4) A postscript by Frankl written in 1983 entitled "The Case for a Tragic Optimism." (15 pages.) This section is very interesting. By tragic optimism Frankl "means that one...remains optimistic in spite of [tragedy]." He goes on to state that "[t]his chapter...raises the question, `How is it possible to say yes to life in spite of [overwhelming tragedy]?'" Even though I disagree with certain parts, it still is packed with wisdom and facts. My favorite piece of information from this section:

"Austrian...pollsters recently reported that those held in highest esteem by most...people interviewed are neither...great artists nor...great scientists, neither...great statesmen nor...great sports figures, but those who master a hard lot [or hard circumstances] with their head held high."

(5) An extensive bibliography of Logotherapy. (40 pages.)

Part one (consisting of 85 pages) of Frankl's actual two part book begins with the following:

"This book does not claim to be an account of facts and events but of [my] personal experiences...It is the inside story [or autobiographical story] of a concentration camp, told by one of its survivors."

And what a story it is!! This story is not concerned with great horrors (well-documented in other books) but "with the multitude of small torments" that were endured. Not only does Frankl relate his experiences, but he also details his observations and conclusions based on those observations. He also imparts to the reader his wisdom (not all of which I agree with). Four of my favorite wise sayings that he imparts are:

(1) "An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."
(2) "Suffering is [a]...part of life, even as fate and death. Without suffering and death human life cannot be complete."
(3) "Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual."
(4) "No one has the right to do harm, not even if wrong has been done to them."

He also passes on to his readers philosophical truths. Two of my favorites come from the philosopher Nietzsche:

(1) "He who has a WHY to live for can bear almost any HOW."
(2) "That which does not kill [or destroy] me, makes me stronger."

Part two (35 pages) introduces the reader to "logotherapy," the theory of psychotherapy developed by Frankl from his experiences in the concentration camp (that were outlined in part one).

"Logotherapy...focuses on the meaning of human existence as well as on [a person's] search for such meaning." Thus, Frankl "speak[s] of a will to meaning in contrast to...the will to pleasure on which Freudian psychoanalysis is centered, as well as in contrast to the will to power on which Adlerian psychology...is focused."

This part is not difficult to understand and is simply written. Here, Frankl again imparts his wisdom to the reader (not all of which I agree with). Two of my favorite wise sayings are:

(1) "[A person] should not ask what the meaning of life is, but rather [that person] must recognize that it is he [or she] who is asked."
(2) "The meaning of life always changes, but...it never ceases to be."

This part consists of about twenty small, easy-to-read sections. Examples of the titles of these sections include:

(1) The Will to Meaning
(2) The Meaning of Life
(3) The Essence of Existence
(4) The Meaning of Suffering
(5) The Meaning of Love

In conclusion, read this life-transforming book and discover for yourself why it has been translated into more than twenty languages, why it has seen nearly one hundred printings in English, and why it is, according to the Library of Congress, "One of the ten most influential books in America!!!"

+++++