Book Review- Man's Search For Meaning
Yesterday I arrived home to a package on my bed, it was the book “Man’s Search For Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl. This book was originally published in 1946, printed in over 22 languages, and has sold over 300 million copies. I had been eagerly waiting for this book because the forward was written by Harold S. Kushner, who authored one of my favorite books, “Why Bad Things Happen To Good People” and also my all time favorite quote; “Love is not the admiration of perfection but the acceptance of an imperfect person all his imperfections, because loving him will make us better and stronger.” So my Friday evening consisted of reading this book from front to back in 4 hours. He speaks about the injustice that occurred in the concentration camps and brutal circumstances, but the real significance of the book is to understand “He who has a Why to live for can bear almost any How”- Nietzsche. Even with the blistering cold climate, inconsiderable rations of food, and grueling labor expectations a man could still fight if he held on to his purpose, thoughts of the future, and his meaning. Once he lets go of hope, he has no chance to survive. You always have the power to control how you respond to a situation or how it makes you feel. No one can take that away from you, and that is powerful.
“ “...the meaning of life always changes, but that it never ceases to be. According to logotherapy, we can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering someone; and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering.” ”