Man's Search for Meaning
"Man's Search for Meaning" by Viktor E. Frankl is a memoir that chronicles his experiences as a Holocaust survivor and the psychological insights he gained while enduring the horrors of concentration camps. Frankl argues that the primary drive in human beings is not pleasure, but the pursuit of meaning, and he introduces his therapeutic approach called logotherapy, which emphasizes finding purpose even in the most challenging circumstances. The book underscores the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of personal responsibility in creating meaning in life.
16 curated highlights from this book
Key Insights & Memorable Quotes
Below are the most impactful passages and quotes from Man's Search for Meaning, carefully selected to capture the essence of the book.
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.
The last of the human freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances.
Suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.
What is to give light must endure burning.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.
In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning.
The meaning of life is to give life meaning.
It is not freedom from conditions, but it is freedom to take a stand toward the conditions.
Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how'.
Happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue.
The greatest task for any person is to find meaning in his or her life.
The last of the human freedoms - the ability to choose one's attitude in a given set of circumstances.
A human being is not one in pursuit of happiness but rather in search of a reason to become happy.
For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue.