3 Meanings Behind “Man’s Search for Meaning”
“We who have a why to live can bear almost any how.”
A Chinese lyricist once said, “Reading yields the highest return on investment because the authors were able to consolidate most of their knowledge, perception, and experience into a book.”
After finishing Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning,” I was deeply inspired by the above quote. And I’m fortunate that I only have to spend around a meal price or less to obtain the opportunity to absorb his knowledge, perception, and experiences.
It was through Frankl’s autobiography that I can visualize how a man can uphold his consciousness of finding meaning while suffering through a series of inhumane treatment in the concentration camp.
I am grateful for not undergoing Frankl’s experience, but it was also through his personal experience that I learned a new attitude on approaching the predicament I encountered:
Even seemingly insurmountable difficulties can eventually be overcome.
Even if I don’t have any supernatural power, I can still use my mindset and actions to create “miracles” (aka. solutions) to my mundane yet fortunate life.
Frankl’s words incessantly remind me of Eker’s perception that “There’s no ‘big’ problem. There’s only little me.”² When the problems seem unsolvable — and obstacles seem insurmountable, they only remind me that I still have room to grow and improve.
The last time I encountered such a situation was when I involved myself in a car accident. At that moment, I was preoccupied with stress, justification, and all sorts of what-ifs. What seemed impassable was the past, and the fact that I’m still driving and living informed me that those mental breakdowns were transitory. Ultimately, this experience became my stepping stone to grow my stress management and composure.
Beyond recreating my attitude toward obstacles, Frankl mentioned various cases that expanded my perspective.
“Finding meaning within suffering to make the suffering worthwhile to experience.”
One remarkable case Frankl mentioned is guiding one of his patients to view differently on losing the patient’s loved ones. Although it’s immutable that Frankl’s patient lost his loved ones, the patient could view this suffering as meaningful given that he experienced such despair on behalf of his lover.
Repeatedly, Frankl emphasizes if suffering could be avoided, don’t intentionally experience it. But if it is immutable, changing how we interpret the story allows us to move forward with intention and turn it into a meaningful experience.
Of course, Frankl’s own experience is one of the most suitable examples to reinforce his message. Through his experience and observation, it was not only dangerous, but it was also easy to lose faith while living in the concentration camp. However, he remained hopeful and deciphered meaning from the experience because he believed he could one day share this experience with the general public as one of his legacies. Indeed, the fact that he developed Logotherapy showcases how such suffering contributes a remarkable result to the psychological field.
“Happiness cannot be pursued; it must be ensue.”
“Pursuit of happiness” seems like a flawless idea because it constructs imagery that happiness is an active thing that can be elicited through intention. As a result of this imagery, when people do not feel contented, they might think it’s because they did not try hard enough. But in reality, we cannot try to be happy. Because (in Frankl’s opinion) happiness is a byproduct of doing what we believe to have meaning.
While reading Frankl’s cases, I strongly relate to instances where the more we wanted to do something perfectly, the more blemish we observed. Or there were instances where we force ourselves to sleep yet suffer through insomnia; whereas, when the mindset of “I need to sleep now” vanishes, sleepiness would naturally come through. Similarly, the more we want to chase happiness, the more anxious we feel. Ironically, when we remove happiness from the focal point, it flows through naturally.
Final Thoughts
Through Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning,” I learned that no single book would offer me the precise answer to “What is the purpose of my life?” This is because I am the only explorer who can answer this question for myself.
I also learned that the answer is concealed within my day-to-day routine that only I can modify, adapt, and immerse.
References
- Frankl, Viktor E. Man’s Search for Meaning. 1st ed., Beacon Press, 2006.
- Eker, Harv T. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind: Mastering the Inner Game of Wealth. Harper Business, 2005.
