He Who Has a Why to Live For
“He who has a 'why' to live for can bear with almost any 'how.’" -Friedrich Nietzsche
One of the most captivating stories of surviving the depths of physical suffering is the tale of Viktor Frankl. In 2019, I stumbled upon Viktor Frankl’s "Man’s Search for Meaning" while browsing through a local bookstore, intending to buy it as a gift for a friend.
As I was about to leave, I decided to grab Steven R. Covey’s "7 Habits of Highly Effective People" for myself. On my way back home, I started skimming through both books and came to the decision to give away Covey’s book and keep Frankl’s for myself. This little book became a blueprint for understanding the seemingly meaningless existence we sometimes face.
Frankl’s story defies the conventional philosophy of "life is meant to be enjoyed, not endured," and the notion commonly held by some people that suffering is somehow demonic. Instead, it is a pure narrative of surviving the most unimaginable hardships, which sometimes come as an August visitor, without any invitation.
“A man who becomes aware of the responsibility he bears toward a human being who affectionately waits for him, or to an unfinished work, will never be able to throw away his life. He knows the 'why' for his existence, and will be able to bear almost any 'how.’" -Viktor Frankl-
In the face of forced labor, starvation, and the constant threat of death in Auschwitz during the Holocaust, two profound motivations sustained Frankl when others were succumbing to despair:
1. The thought of reuniting with his wife, envisioning the warmth of their embrace and the love that would fill the air when they become a pair again
2. The vision of himself standing on well-lit podiums, imparting wisdom about the psychology of concentration camps to others.
Suffering, in and of itself, lacks meaning; we attribute meaning to our suffering through our response to it. Therefore, when hope is lost, death becomes inevitable
During a conversation between the chief doctor of the concentration camp and Frankl, Frankl recounted the doctor's observation that the death rate between Christmas 1944 and New Year 1945 had spiked significantly. Strangely, it wasn't due to food shortages, harsh working conditions, or new epidemics.
Rather, it was because the majority of prisoners had clung to the hope of being home by Christmas. As the days passed with no positive news, courage waned, and disappointment set in. This eroded their will to resist, resulting in a tragic loss of lives.
The flesh is often willing only as long as the mind remains resolute; once the mind relinquishes its determination, the flesh is left with no alternative but to follow suit. The body may endure harsh cold mornings, sore feet, inadequate diets, sickness, and disease, all while the mind maintains its resolve, saying, "You’ve fought valiantly, my friend.
Despite all adversities, we’ve honored our pact to keep both body and spirit alive. Hold on tight, for I believe we’ll be home, embraced by loved ones by Christmas." However, as time gallops forward, the mind loses sight of that glimmer of hope at the tunnel’s end. It shuts down operations, inevitably compelling the body to cease its operations as well.
Those who survived were those who, amidst their pain and discomfort, often looked beyond themselves, helping fellow prisoners, sharing their meager rations, and assuring them that hope remained. These were the individuals who saw beyond the desolation and believed in a greener pasture beyond the barren land, even when it couldn't be seen, trusting that time would unveil it, and time did unveil the long-awaited freedom.
In the end, Frankl's story has taught me that humans can go through hell with a smile. For “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.”
-Viktor Frankl-
