Man's Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy by Viktor E. Frankl

Nov 01, 2011

K.D. rated it

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Recommended to K.D. by: nik

Shelves: essays, non-fiction

The sun is slowly rising up ushering the dawning of a new day. The mother and the father are sipping their first cups of coffee. Their schooling children are rising up from their bed. The mother attends to her children’s daily routine. She bathes, feeds them their breakfast and makes sure that their things are all in their individual school bags. Para Kanino Ka Bumabangon? (translation: Whom Do You Wake Up For?) is heard as a voice over. This is Nestle’s TV ad for Nescafe coffee but it sends ...more

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Apr 16, 2009

Ben rated it

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Shelves: good-nonfiction, philosophy, psychology, read-in-2009, war, transformative-experience, important-message

Reading about the holocaust awakens me to the varying sides and degrees of human nature.

"Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. Is it surprising that in those depths we again found only human qualities which in there very nature were a mixture of good and evil? The rift dividing good from evil, which goes through all human beings, reaches into the lowest depths and becomes apparent even on the bottom of the abyss which is laid open by the...more

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Jan 22, 2008

Emily rated it

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Recommended to Emily by: Robert T. Barrett

After the Book of Mormon, this would be my second recommendation to anyone looking for purpose in life.

Here's a poignant excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the book when Frankl has been in Auschwitz and other camps for several years and doesn't know the war is only weeks away from ending. He had decided to escape his camp near Dachau with a friend and was visiting some of his patients for the last time.

"I came to my only countryman, who was almost dying, and...moreAfter the Book of Mormon, this would be my second recommendation to anyone looking for purpose in life.

Here's a poignant excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the book when Frankl has been in Auschwitz and other camps for several years and doesn't know the war is only weeks away from ending. He had decided to escape his camp near Dachau with a friend and was visiting some of his patients for the last time.

"I came to my only countryman, who was almost dying, and whose life it had been my ambition to save in spite of myself, but my comrade seemed to guess that something was wrong (perhaps I showed a little nervousness). In a tired voice he asked me, 'You too, are getting out?' I denied it, but I found it difficult to avoid his sad look. After my round I returned to him. Again a hopeless look greeted me and somehow I felt it to be an accusation. The unpleasant feeling that had gripped me as soon as I had told my friend I would escape with him became more intense.

Suddenly I decided to take fate into my own hands for once. I ran out of the hut and told my friend that I could not go with him. As soon as I had told him with finality that I had made up my mind to stay with my patients, the unhappy feeling left me. I did not know what the following days would bring, but I had gained an inward peace that I had never experienced before. I returned to the hut, sat down on the boards at my countryman's feet and tried to comfort him..."

I found such strength and wisdom in this books--strength and advice for me as a mother of three young children. While potty training, bending over to clean up a handful of toys for the the thousandth time that day, scraping Play Dough off of a filthy kitchen floor on hands and knees, and preparing the fifth snack of the day for three hungry mouths (directly after doing the dishes from the previous fourth snack) I find the text of this book to give profound meaning to small and simple acts of selflessness, patience, and service. What a profound reminder that "The immediate influence of behavior is always more effective than that of words." I desperately needed to read this book, if only to remember to be calm and kind to my little ones so that they will pass on the favor to their own next generation.

Bravo to Viktor Frankl for bringing human frailty and greatness into perspective.

"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." -Frankl
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Jul 28, 2011

Stephanie (Stepping out of the Page) rated it

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Shelves: read-in-2011, cover-appeal, historical, adult-fiction, no-longer-own, non-fiction, ww2, memoirs

The three stars are for the first section of this book, which I loved. I was really drawn in by Frankl's descriptions of his experiences and thoughts during the Holocaust. It was interesting to hear his professional thoughts alongside his memories and it was quite a page turner. This was an interesting memoir as it was effective, giving an insight into the horrific happenings and the emotional impact that the Holocaust had, without being extremely personal - it almost had a sense of detachment. ...more

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Jul 02, 2007

Frank rated it

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Recommends it for: people who want to live a fulfilling life

After I read this book, which I finished many, many years ago, I had become self-critical of any future endeavours which would take up a lot of my time. I would ask myself "is this or will this be meaningful to me?", and if the answer was "no", I wouldn't do it. It was this book that influenced me to consciously live as meaningful a life as possible, to place a great value on the journey and not just the destination, while knowing that "meaningful" doesn't always me...more

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Mar 20, 2009

Luann rated it

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Shelves: 2009, biography, holocaust, religion, nonfiction, adult, war, shelf-a-thon1

Powerful. A must-read for those interested in reading about the holocaust. I felt guilty reading while eating my lunch.

This is also a wonderful book for putting your own life experiences and suffering into perspective. I especially liked his theories about responsibility - that we are all responsible for our own choices and for finding meaning in our life.

I wouldn't have been nearly as interested in the second half, "Logotherapy in a Nutshell" and "The C...more

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Dec 07, 2011

Riku Sayuj rated it

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For most of the book, I felt as dumbfounded as I would have been if I were browsing through a psychiatric journal. Filled with references and technical terms and statistics, it was mostly a book-long affirmation of the then innovative technique called 'logo-therapy'. I do not understand how this book is still relevant and found in most popular book stores. It might have been that the book was popular in the sixties and seventies as it offered a powerful and logical argument against the reduction...moreFor most of the book, I felt as dumbfounded as I would have been if I were browsing through a psychiatric journal. Filled with references and technical terms and statistics, it was mostly a book-long affirmation of the then innovative technique called 'logo-therapy'. I do not understand how this book is still relevant and found in most popular book stores. It might have been that the book was popular in the sixties and seventies as it offered a powerful and logical argument against the reductionist approach that leads inevitably to existential nihilism, but is that still relevant today? It also attempts to free psychiatry from the belief that 'eros' was the cause of all neurosis and turns the flashlight on repressed 'logos' - which forms the premise of the book and the title.

But, while the basic premises are powerful and moving, the breadth and scale of repetition of the same ideas and the technical jargon and the constant Freud-bashing ensured that I did not enjoy the book as much as I had hoped. Furthermore, the whole chapter dedicated to the theory that ultimately our basic necessity of 'search for logos' can also be explained as a 'repressed religious drive' and his exhortation to religious people to not look down on irreligious ones (read atheists and agnostics) just because they have achieved a stage that the atheists/agnostics are still aspiring (unconsciously of course) towards rang patently false and too much in line with his argument of psychiatry being a sister to theology.

I wish Frankl had stuck to his original title of 'The Unconscious God' - it would have been more representative of the book as his 'logos' argument directly derives from his postulation of a transcendent unconscious super-ego that trumps Freud's 'Super Ego' and a spiritual cum instinctual subconscious that trumps Freud's 'id'.

Unless you are looking for a historical perspective on the technical aspects of psychiatry and about the origins of 'logo-therapy', I would not recommend this book, especially for general reading. If you pick up this book, like I did, in the hope that it is about Frankl's personal quest for meaning amidst the horrors of Auschwitz with a strong scientific perspective, you will be disappointed to find that you have picked up a medical journal that is pedantic and repetitive, with hardly any reference to Frankl's personal journey or about how he evolved his theory and practices (that did transform many lives) based on his experiences.(less)

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Dec 01, 2008

Laurel rated it

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Shelves: favorites, non-fiction, classics, psychology, memoir, philosphy, history

I read this book for the first time during my senior year in high school. The year prior, I had gone to Germany for spring break with some fellow classmates. During the trip, we spent a day visiting a former WWII concentration camp in Dachau. As one might expect, this visit had a profound affect on me. I had of course read and knew about the atrocities that occurred under the Nazi regime, but to actually see the gas chambers in person is a deeply haunting and disturbing experience. Perhaps for t...moreI read this book for the first time during my senior year in high school. The year prior, I had gone to Germany for spring break with some fellow classmates. During the trip, we spent a day visiting a former WWII concentration camp in Dachau. As one might expect, this visit had a profound affect on me. I had of course read and knew about the atrocities that occurred under the Nazi regime, but to actually see the gas chambers in person is a deeply haunting and disturbing experience. Perhaps for this reason, Frankl's book affected me even more deeply than it otherwise might have.

The book is divided into two parts. The first section recounts in vivid detail Frankl's horrifying experiences as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. Frankl, a former psychiatrist, also describes his observations of other prisoners, and what he felt to be the main way in which people tried to cope with the insurmountable obstacles they faced. He found that those who could find meaning or purpose in their suffering were the ones who also seemed better able to find the strength to go on. As I recall, Frankl personally found his purpose in the hope of someday being able to see his wife again... a hope that was strong enough to get him through the daily horrors he faced.

The second half of this book is devoted to the therapy he developed based on the search for meaning, which he calls logotherapy. The basic premise is that those who can find meaning in their suffering are better able to cope with what would otherwise be a struggle too hard to bear. As one who majored in psychology, I found this section as fascinating as the first.

I have read this book at least 3 times now, and it is one of the few books I can say truly changed my life. I am ever grateful that I have the wisdom of this book to fall back upon when needed.

Several years ago, at a very young age (in my 20’s), I became ill with a disease that left me bedridden and barely able to speak above a whisper. Now 36, I am still bedridden and fighting the same battle. It is Frankl's reminder to find meaning and purpose in suffering (which I found in the love of my fiancé and my hope of recovery) that has helped me to get through each difficult day. As Frankl tells us, "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."

I highly recommend this book!!(less)

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Sep 20, 2008

booklady rated it

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Shelves: 2007, philosophy, psychology, religion, history, spiritual

Throughout history humanity has always been in search of purpose and meaning to our existence on this earth. One of the oldest jokes in the world is the young person asking the ancient one, “What is the meaning of life?” and receiving some sort of reply like, “If you find out, you let me know, okay?!”

Viktor Frankl’s classic work was originally written in 1945 and published in 1959. I own a 1984 paperback edition of the book which had already been through seventy-three editions in Eng...more

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Apr 14, 2011

Wendyslc rated it

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Recommends it for: anyone over 13

Reading this book in high school changed my life. I grew up in an abusive home and was in constant survival mode. After reading this book I realized that I had a choice. I could let my circumstances dictate my attitude or I could choose my attitude, which could then change my circumstances.

Becoming an adult is the hardest thing we ever do. Being an adult means accepting responsibility for your thoughts, actions and character. I realized that I can choose my thoughts and actions rega...more

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Mar 02, 2009

Yulia rated it

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This is a life-changing book that I'll be rereading regularly and giving copies to those I hope can benefit from it. The book is divided into two parts, the first describing the typical experience of prisoners in concentration camps and the second introducing the practice of logotherapy.

His experiences in concentration camps showed him three main stages of reaction experienced by the prisoners. First, they went through a period of shock at their situation, followed quickly by a se...more

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Oct 07, 2007

Elyssa rated it

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Recommends it for: EVERYONE!!!!

Shelves: existentialism

I have read this book many, many times. These are the words I live by. If I was told that I could only own one book for the rest of my life, this would be it.

Viktor Frankl's harrowing testimony of surviving in a concentration camp seems incomprehensible. Even more unbelievable is the attitude he adopts during his struggle as he remains apart from his family, starving, cold, and forced to perform hard labor with no relief in sight. Through it all, he decides that even though his body...more

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Apr 29, 2011

Khalid Almoghrabi rated it

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Shelves: favorites

This book could not be added or compared to any other book. it stood still in its kind. Dr. Frankl gives illumination on human behavior in a way that might surprise many. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in psychology in general.

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Apr 20, 2011

Darla rated it

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Shelves: jewish, classics, nf-history, philosophy, psychology, wwii

I have had this book on my shelves for years- at least a decade, but it wasn’t until my “non-fiction” book group selected it last month that I was finally spurred to read it. What took me so long? I have no idea, though I found so much significant to modern life between its pages, all my dog-earing has made it look a third larger than its one hundred seventy-nine pages.

Dr. Frankl, a trained psychotherapist and contemporary of Freud and Adler in Austria, was a prisoner of the Nazi dea...moreI have had this book on my shelves for years- at least a decade, but it wasn’t until my “non-fiction” book group selected it last month that I was finally spurred to read it. What took me so long? I have no idea, though I found so much significant to modern life between its pages, all my dog-earing has made it look a third larger than its one hundred seventy-nine pages.

Dr. Frankl, a trained psychotherapist and contemporary of Freud and Adler in Austria, was a prisoner of the Nazi death camp system from 1942-1945. He was a “guest” at four different camps, including Auschwitz. His training helped spare him a bit of the back breaking labor forced on other prisoners, but not all of it. Fortunately, the Nazi’s found they could use his services in the infirmaries and to calm the more distressed inmates. Combining his knowledge with his experiences in the camps, Dr. Frankl was able to construct a memoir quite different from other such writings. His memoir is not merely a recounting of personal histories, heartbreak, and Nazi brutality, as so many are, instead, Frankl’s writing examines the psyche of victims and victimizers as he strives to give the reader greater insight into how some men survived the depravity of the extermination directive, even as millions of others did not.

With professional detachment, Dr. Frankl explains how the death camp experience helped him to form and shape his own form of psychotherapy, which he refers to as Logotherapy or “meaning” therapy. In the camps it was apparent to Frankl that those inmates who possessed some glimmer of hope were the ones who were most likely to survive. If they could believe their lives, their present suffering, would have some glorious end after release from the camps, the sufferer could hold on a little longer, fight a bit harder to stay well and out of trouble’s way.

Often prisoners would set up artificial dates of reprieve, such as Christmas or New Year’s, with the belief that rescue would come by that day. When no one came to end their pain, it was not uncommon for these prisoners to lose all will to live and begin fading. Love, or rather the memory of it, was a strong motivator for many inmates. As few knew the fate of other family members, dreaming of seeing a lost spouse or children kept many a prisoner from giving up on life in the camps.

In an especially poignant moment in the memoir, while reflecting on relative comforts, Dr. Frankl comments, “The attempt to develop a sense of humor and see things in a humorous light is some kind of trick learned while mastering the art of living. Yet it is possible to practice the art of living even in a concentration camp, although suffering is omnipresent.” 2 The doctor goes on to explain how human suffering is relative to what is known. Things that may not have seemed like a blessing in their previous lives, such as having a nice Capo or a better fitting pair of shoes, working in a factory, not in the snow, a train going in a different direction- away from a camp with a crematoria, extra peas in one’s soup, or a warm spring day, reach all new proportions when placed in the context of a Nazi prison camp. “Tender mercies” might be a good way to describe these bits of light amidst all the darkness. Whatever they are, these tiny specks of comfort made life a little more bearable behind the razor wire.

The thought that stuck with me while reading Frankl’s explanations about the importance of finding meaning in difficult circumstances, despite discomforts, despite physical or emotional pain, is how important those struggles, those peaks and valleys of mortality, are to making us better people.

The Lord has told us the poor will always be with us. “Poor,” in this case, can mean poor in wealth or poor in spirit, but both are guaranteed to always be part of our earthly lives. For all the altruism and desire to alleviate every worldly discomfort from poverty to illness, and don’t misunderstand me, there is good that comes to those who seek to help others or who are helped, I have to consider, “What exactly are those in difficult circumstances to learn?" Is the desire to give a man the proverbial fish rather than teaching and expecting him to fish for himself, robbing that person of some eternal growth opportunity?

The analogy of the child watching a butterfly struggling to exit its cocoon, then inadvertently killing the young butterfly when he assists in its release comes to mind here. That butterfly needed to struggle to get vital fluids to its wings, enabling it to fly away from the shell of its metamorphosis; the child’s well meaning intervention kept the butterfly from achieving its full potential. Frankl says we all need that struggle, and we need to embrace it whole heartedly. We physically and psychologically need to rise above our pains and reach out to others in order to find meaning in our own lives; the poor and the wealthy alike.

The good doctor also makes a strong case in his logotherapy theory for “responsibleness,” even advocating for a Statue of Responsibility on America’s west coast to be a balance to the Statue of Liberty on our east coast. 3 4 Our lives and what they are to become is completely up to us as individuals, despite everything. I recall in “Parenting with Love and Logic,” the writers remind parents that it is important to give children choices, and to remember that not all choice options are “bad” and “good,” many are “not as bad” and “not horrible,” but choices they are. Frankl appears to have the same philosophy. It is up to individuals to determine their own course in life, but to accept that each choice is to be owned, not deflected because the choices to be made weren’t preferred choices. Ultimately, we are more responsible for our lives than the “philosophy of men,” if you will, would make us be. Sounds familiar to me. How about you?

My criticisms of Man’s Search for Meaning are few. The book is divided in to three sections: Experiences in a Concentration Camp, Logotherapy in a Nutshell, and The Case for a Tragic Optimism. The weakest of these three is the middle. Dr. Frankl spends such a small amount of time explaining the tenets of his theories, that it feels rather rushed and only partially complete. He doesn’t lapse into heavy jargon, but his overlapping explanations almost feel like jargon. For the lay reader, it is easy to get bogged down in this area, as the flow from section one is interrupted. But I recommend you work through it, nonetheless, and discover the strength of the philosophy behind Man’s Search for Meaning.

Statue of Responsibility Project (Link) (less)

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Aug 14, 2008

Cortney rated it

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There must be something wrong with me. This is a book that everyone is supposed to love. But I didn't. I didn't even like it. I only gave it three stars because I would have felt like a first class jerk giving it only two stars.

Here's the thing- I love WWII stories- The Hiding Place, Anne Frank, etc. But Man's Search for Meaning had no emotion in it. It was so clinical and frankly quite boring.

The first section- Experiences in a Concentration Camp- was ok, but as I said,...more

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Apr 15, 2008

Shannon rated it

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I love questions, just for that feeling I get when I find an answer. This is one of those books that answered questions long present in my mind. Even if it doesn't answer things straight out, but leads me on a train of thought where I come to a conclusion.
I was reading about the meaning of life, which is to me to fulfill a life mission God assigned to me, and make choices now that lead me there. Missions are self-sacrificing, giving yourself to the benefit and service of others. In o...more

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Oct 19, 2007

Rick rated it

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Recommends it for: everyone

Shelves: autobiography

It seems odd to give only three stars to such a powerful and moving account of life in a concentration camp. In fact, if the book consisted of only the first part (of his account of life in Nazi concentration camps) I would likely give it 5 stars. Unfortunately, his Intro to Logotherapy was less enjoyable. While it adds a necessary spiritual dimension to theoretical discussions of clinical work, I found it lacking as a stand-alone theory. Overall, though, I highly recommend reading it, espec...more

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Feb 08, 2009

Ed rated it

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Recommends it for: Anyone interested in an inspiring story with a valuable lesson

Shelves: memoir, reviewed, non-fiction

I have read this book more than a few times. Reading it this time was like reading it for the first time.

I am now 71 and I believe the last time I read it I was in my early fifties. My outlook has changed considerably in the intervening years so I gained different insights from Frankl's story this time through.

It is an incredible story not only because he survived 3+ years in the Nazi Death Camps but because he was able to learn something from the experience.

The...more

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Feb 07, 2012

Andrew Breslin rated it

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Viktor Frankl's entire family was murdered by the Nazis while he himself endured years of abject torment in a concentration camp under conditions so horrible it defies description. This puts in stark perspective the rancorous recriminations I unleash on a hostile and uncaring universe every time I cannot locate my keys.

Life has its ups and downs, but neither I nor anyone reading this will ever find themselves as down as Frankl did. I'm in danger of making a flippant understatement w...moreViktor Frankl's entire family was murdered by the Nazis while he himself endured years of abject torment in a concentration camp under conditions so horrible it defies description. This puts in stark perspective the rancorous recriminations I unleash on a hostile and uncaring universe every time I cannot locate my keys.

Life has its ups and downs, but neither I nor anyone reading this will ever find themselves as down as Frankl did. I'm in danger of making a flippant understatement when I observe that there are many negative things one can say about the Third Reich. But apart from their oft cited success at making the trains run on time, their reign of depravity yielded another positive result: it illustrated just how bad people could be. Never in all of human history was there ever such a clear demonstration of the depth of evil that dwells in the dark and fetid corners of our collective soul. It was the ultimate worst-case scenario. A crash-test of the human spirit, as if some cosmic quality-control inspector had devised the perfect challenge.

The accounts of Frankl and other Holocaust survivors serve as an extraordinary testament to the strength of the human will. If people can endure what he did without succumbing to abject despair, then there is pretty much nothing worse the universe could ever throw at them.

We're pretty amazing creatures, human beings. We are capable of the most horrendous atrocities, and the most astounding kindness and self-sacrifice. We have within us the capacity to endure tremendous hardships and adversity. Life is like an angry chimp: sooner or later it's going to throw some nasty shit at us. Inspiring examples of others standing up and shaking off enormous mounds of that shit make it a lot easier for me to ignore the minuscule traces of clinging feces life has thus far managed to fling my way.

Life is good. It really is. And your keys are probably in the pockets of the pants you were wearing yesterday. See? Hooray! Life is beautiful.(less)

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Jan 30, 2012

nik rated it

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Shelves: xeroed

Have you ever been in a situation wherein unreasonable suffering seems the only task left in your life that suicide seems to be a very reasonable option? Have you ever thought that living only extends the misery and torment you've already took? Have you felt the vacuum of meaningless suffering sucking the life out of you like a black hole? Have you ever thought that breathing is a disease and only death can cure it? If yes, then you haven't read this book.

The meaning of life … Many ...more

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Aug 16, 2011

Gregory Rothbard rated it

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Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Gregory by: Not Sure

Shelves: cluck-it-big, nonfiction-reads, essential-books

This book is a book of realistic optimism. Victor E. Frankl explores the existential nihilism found in much of the world today, especially in our Post Modern thought. Sophists would claim that there is no meaning in the world. It is easy to buy yourself an existential vaccum, but it sucks up all meaning.

But what then? What would Daryl Hannah do? Atlas holds the world but who holds Atlas? And if Atlas stands on-top of turtles than who is the squashed turtle on the bottom of t...more

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Dec 27, 2010

Johnnee rated it

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While vacationing in Brooklyn, a girl whose lent me her couch to sleep on called me a hippie for reading this book. I panicked and tried to convince her, and myself, that I was NOT a dirty hippie. I don't smoke pot, or listen to jam bands, or even love everybody. At the same time, this book really is intensively self-reflective. Frankl's Logotherapy is a great response to life in my opinion, and his philosophy has a lot of value that you can take with you after you're done reading. This book is ...more

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Apr 11, 2011

Michelle rated it

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Shelves: read-in-2010, psychology

I had heard about this book for years prior to stumbling upon it at a local bookstores but despite the wonderful reviews it received, I had always dismissed it as your typical "holocaust" story. In "Man's Search for Meaning", Frankl recounts his years in the concentration camp but he also focuses on the collective experience of the prisoners rather than only on his own tale. Told in an honest and surprisingly courageous tone, this book not only captures the extent/depth of h...moreI had heard about this book for years prior to stumbling upon it at a local bookstores but despite the wonderful reviews it received, I had always dismissed it as your typical "holocaust" story. In "Man's Search for Meaning", Frankl recounts his years in the concentration camp but he also focuses on the collective experience of the prisoners rather than only on his own tale. Told in an honest and surprisingly courageous tone, this book not only captures the extent/depth of human suffering but the vastness of human resolve.

I appreciated his almost detached manner in explaining behavior and his description of surprise at the psychological/moral shifts of those around him (and his own)
Frankl never tries to place the blame (or praise) on anyone but decides to focus more on the complexity of each individual (he even recounts the acts of kindness that was sometimes offered by the SS guards) I find his story of his years in Auschwitz to be an incredibly humbling story.

In the later chapters, Frankl details the psychological shifts of the prisoners and categorizes them into three phases:

1. Period following immediate admission
2. Period well-entrenched in camp life
3. Period after liberation

Each of these period brings with it an array of psychological tension and inner turmoil. Dr. Frankl delves into each phase with a deep professionalism. He merely describes and explains; others would have embellished to no end but he refrains from excess cliches and self-pity and I believe that therein lies the genius of this book. An extremely emotional event was able to be dealt with in an objective and straight-forward manner, focusing more the psychological results and what could be derived from the whole experience. Others would have just dwelled on the horror of it all.

Dr. Frankl supports the belief that man is not just fate's plaything, he believes that their suffering is not empty but a sort of challenge unique to each individual; it is up to him/her to "rise to the occasion". In such difficult moments, we are jolted from our daily trance and really value even the most menial of things. We are faced with the opportunity to be moral and dignified--for if we aren't ever tested how would we know just how moral and dignified we really are? During these exceptionally difficult moments, we are granted the opportunity to grow spiritually, we are free from trifling things and are able to focus on our bodies and our minds. What I believe Frankl is trying to say is that if we view those difficult moments as a time of trial and not eternal punishment, we shall be able to develop into mature, strong, and loving people; a person who accepts difficulties with grace and strength and sincerely appreciates the moments of peace. If we are able to pass this "life test", we become more secure in our personal worth and inner strength, thus allowing the present situation to seem completely surmountable--and future ones as well. One could make a victory out of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph.

Frankl proposes a new alternative to therapy, logotherapy (logos being the greek word for meaning). In such a therapy, the client is guided to finding their own personal goal, their reason to withstand the current suffering. In contrast with the theory of "will to pleasure" (Freud's theory) and "will to power" (Adler's.) Logotherapy posits that a man is driven to live by finding a meaning in his life, in being driven toward this goal, he will try and "solve" any issues preventing him from reaching it. Instead of conflicts between desires and instincts and hidden motives (which do contribute to neuroses) Logotherapy focuses on the conflicts that arise from existential frustration, what a man feels when he is wasting his life or is living his life in direct opposition to his ideals and values.

Logotherapy deviates from psychanalysis in that it considers man a being whose main concern consists in fulfilling a meaning, rather than in the mere gratification and satisfaction of drives or in reconciling the conflicts of id, ego, and superego, or in the mere adaptation and adjustment to society's demands. In the Nazi concentration camps, the ones who felt they had a meaning in their lives were more apt to survive and overcome the trauma, albeit slowly. This holds true for most people who are experiencing difficult situations or attempting to recover from post-traumatic stress disorder.

In psychoanalysis, the focus is on symbols and hidden associations which are often found annoying and unhelpful to the client about the conflict at hand. These are then faced with more issues and more neuroses can surface. In logotherapy, this is skipped-in a sense-and the focus is not not the cause of the neuroses inasmuch as it is on the possible solutions or alternatives. (less)

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Feb 15, 2011

Tenderine rated it

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Shelves: non-fiction

Paradoxical intention should be really helpful now that I know such thing exists. In fact, I presume all of us have experienced it ourselves. For example, in cases of sleep disturbance. Have you ever noticed you find it harder to fall asleep when you need to do that? I actually watched hours go by while I tried to make myself fall asleep. Apparently, all you have to do is try to keep yourself awake, then and only then you'll be able to actually sleep. Isn't it fascinating? And childish. Remember...more

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Apr 18, 2009

Cindy rated it

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Recommends it for: Everyone

Shelves: 999, non-fiction, religion, biography

Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist and neurologist who was also a survivor of a concentration camp. This book describes his experiences and the philosophy/analysis he developed, partly based on his experiences, called logotherapy. It's like two short books in one.

I loved the first half. He doesn't write much about his arrest or his family, but he does describe the emotional and mental state of those who had been arrested. He came to see that those who survived - at least survived the s...more

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Jul 30, 2008

Bobby rated it

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Shelves: reviewed

I had read parts of this book before years ago, but finally got around to the whole thing, from beginning to the end. And now I'm sorry I waited so long! Written in 1946 by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian Psychiatrist and Neurologist, the book consists of two parts. The first part is Dr Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his discussion of the psyche of the prisoners. The second part briefly details the basic foundation of the therapy that Dr Frankl invented (called logotherapy) base...moreI had read parts of this book before years ago, but finally got around to the whole thing, from beginning to the end. And now I'm sorry I waited so long! Written in 1946 by Viktor Frankl, an Austrian Psychiatrist and Neurologist, the book consists of two parts. The first part is Dr Frankl's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his discussion of the psyche of the prisoners. The second part briefly details the basic foundation of the therapy that Dr Frankl invented (called logotherapy) based on his insights and experiences in the camps. The principal idea behind logotherapy I think is very nicely summed by a quote by Nietzsche that Dr. Frankl himself often repeats in the book: "He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how." That is, it's all about giving meaning to one's life that makes one's life worth living, no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.

Not surprisingly, this is reminiscent of Sartre, Kierkegaard, and many other existentialist philosophers, and I would say logotherapy is a type of existentialist psychotherapy (though I could be wrong). However, this book is so much more optimistic in it's tone as the emphasis is on giving a relative meaning to one's life, as oppose to the lack of an absolute meaning (which Sartre and Camus seemed to emphasize). Not to mention, this book is MUCH simpler to understand than Being and Nothingness! :)

As someone who works with older, sick patients with terminal illnesses who have limited time left, I have often used existentialist therapy techniques to discuss themes of life and death with patients, and help them process unresolved issues. This book definitely gave me ideas on how I can do this in a more effective manner. But I also think many readers (including myself) will be able to take something from this book and apply to their own personal lives.

All in all, a very useful book for those who are seeking more in life than the latest iphone, limited-edition Manolo Blahniks, the hottest boy/girl on the block, or whatever.(less)

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Aug 21, 2008

Emily rated it

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I am going to cheat. I have two pages left. I doubt I'll change my mind after those two pages.

I feel bad not really loving a book by a holocaust survivor. The poor guy went through a lot and now he has to withstand my book review. Oh, except that he is dead. Do they have goodreads in heaven?

I was just bored by the book. As a child my mom never let us be bored. Well, technically we just could not say that we were bored. If we were bored we had to find something t...moreI am going to cheat. I have two pages left. I doubt I'll change my mind after those two pages.

I feel bad not really loving a book by a holocaust survivor. The poor guy went through a lot and now he has to withstand my book review. Oh, except that he is dead. Do they have goodreads in heaven?

I was just bored by the book. As a child my mom never let us be bored. Well, technically we just could not say that we were bored. If we were bored we had to find something to do. It is a good policy, but was poorly enacted. You might think that I went and built forts and had adventures. No. I would have gotten kidnapped, so I was not allowed to do that. I did sometimes build a fort with couch cushions, but my sister was mean and wouldn't play with me. Oh, I did have an adventure one time. I was riding my bike. Ok, the bike was actually my sister's. And it had training wheels. And it a pink, dorky bike. But, hey, I was desperate. So this one day I was riding and I hit the gate. The training wheels lodged in the chain link and suspended the bike's back tire about an inch off the ground. That was the drive wheel, so with it off the ground I could peddle like mad and the bike wouldn't go anywhere. Plus the gate was holding me up. So I pretended to ride my bike a million miles an hour. That was my summer excitement.

Ok, so the book was divided into two parts. Part 1: Interesting. Part 2: Not Interesting.

Part 1: He described the concentration camp from such and objective perspective that it made me wonder if he was actually ever there. Ok, so, if I had such a traumatic experience perhaps I would have had to pull myself out of it in order to cope. So, I don't really fault him for that. But the book should have just been Part 1.

Part2: Totally unrelated. Pyschoanalysis stuff. And it was all soooo basic. Like this:
Problem: You want to kill people.
Solution: Tell yourself to go ahead and kill people, then all of a sudden you won't want to kill people.

Anyways, perhaps I would have liked this book more except that I have a bad association with it. The other night I was reading in the dark with my flashlight. My husband claims he can't sleep with the reading light on. I say his eyes are shut, it should not be an issue. But out of courtesy, I use a flashlight. Well, there was a little tiny fly that liked the light too. Then he flew up my nose and I had to blow him out. I hope he doesn't write a book about his experiences. (less)

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Jul 28, 2009

Jeffrey rated it

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Shelves: spiritual

This classic has been around for some time, selling some 12 million copies in the process. This new updated re-release is a testament to its selling power (June 14th 2006 (first published 2004) by Beacon Press).

But what makes it such a hot seller? Even though its title alludes to its content, it's more of a concentration camp testimonial / memoir and psychiatric exposition than philosophical pondering on man's search for meaning. However, even though this topic is not explored in qu...moreThis classic has been around for some time, selling some 12 million copies in the process. This new updated re-release is a testament to its selling power (June 14th 2006 (first published 2004) by Beacon Press).

But what makes it such a hot seller? Even though its title alludes to its content, it's more of a concentration camp testimonial / memoir and psychiatric exposition than philosophical pondering on man's search for meaning. However, even though this topic is not explored in quantity, the title's "search" is explored, but the real message may be glossed over if the reader is not observant. So let's get more into this profoundly important meaning of life that Frankel brings to the page, short in its quantity, yet heavy in its quality for the observant.

The title tells you what the significant point of this book is. It is when Frankl and the others caught in the continuous horror and boundless misery find love. Yes, they find love. This is significant because it is only when one is deprived, when one runs up against extreme circumstance, when one is pushed to the brink does he or she fully appreciate and understand that which is most significant in life or what is most meaningful. And as one encounters these extremes, he or she finds great insight, wonder, miracles even, in the most bizarre and unusual light.

Frankl discovers in the concentration camps that those of great intellectual life, the reflectors, the thinkers, the meditaters even, are the ones who "survive camp life better." It is the "less hardy" who fair better than the "robust." What does this mean? Those who have prepared themselves emotionally, spiritually, are the ones who have the greater strength to deal with the utmost difficult times, not necessarily those who in easy times appear under control, the loud, the braggart, even the profane. The spirit protects while the flesh rots.

To continue, Frankl in thinking on his wife, sees love for the far greater thing that it is than one may ever see in settled, comfortable times. It is within this abject horror that Frankl is blessed with a vision of the significance of man and his purpose for being, for he states, "The truth--love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire." Later he states, "Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive acting, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way--an honorable way--in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, "The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory."

The sanctity of the woman, marriage and its central importance to not only society but eternity is made whole and evident here. It is this sanctified nature of the human race of which the angels speak.

Love: when asked what the meaning of life is Mother Teresa said to love and be loved. When speaking to my wife tonight she mentioning that "people come in hundreds," that at any point in time you can stop and say, "None of us will be alive 100 years from now." Putting that into perspective with the endless eons that have and will pass, the insignificance of our mortal lives beyond learning things eternal is shown pointless. Those who aim for monetary, material, social, political, or any temporal or transitory success is insignificant beyond measure in the face of what Frankl learns amongst the appallingly endless torment that in actuality only lasted an insignificant spit in the cosmic bucket of time. His great temporary suffering revealing pearls of wisdom, priceless even, vision of the third eye beyond the veil into the eternities.

Where is there significance? When is it discovered? In our most harrowing moments; the real reason why we are here, for it is in these moments, and maybe only in these moments, that we learn best or learn things eternal: "I knew only one thing--which I learned well: Love goes very far beyond the physical person of the beloved. It finds its deepest meaning in his spiritual being, his inner self. Whether or not he is actually present, whether or not he is still alive at all, ceases somehow to be of importance" (Frankel).

It has only been in my hours of despair, amongst the suicidal depression, the endless days / months / years of hopelessness, the destructive anger, abject fear experienced through losing all my money and material items, confronting cancer and living with a bad heart, lungs, feat, and anus probably to the end of my life that has propelled me, blessed me, opened me up to the vision of the eternal love that resides in all of us, the great hope that bristles underneath the pointless pursuits of the world, and the love, love, love, waiting to bless us as we become obedient to the true purpose of our existence. Love and the seeking of all that it entails.
(less)

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Apr 23, 2008

Kates rated it

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"For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side-effect of one's dedication to a cause greater that oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other that oneself."

"An abnormal reaction to an abnormal situation is normal behavior."

"The camp inmate was frightened of making decisions and of taking any sort of initiative whatsoever. This was the result of a strong feeling that fat...more

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Apr 26, 2008

Patrick rated it

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Recommends it for: Anyone of a philosophical bent

This book is a philosophical/psychological treatise filled with some truly excellent insights, but even despite it's extremely short length (my edition was only 211 pages including a very lengthy bibliography) it presented something of a challenge to me from an aesthetic standpoint. Simply put, Frankl is not a great storyteller, even when one would assume his subject matter--his own experiences as a Holocaust survivor--is gripping material by its very nature.

Approximately the firs...moreThis book is a philosophical/psychological treatise filled with some truly excellent insights, but even despite it's extremely short length (my edition was only 211 pages including a very lengthy bibliography) it presented something of a challenge to me from an aesthetic standpoint. Simply put, Frankl is not a great storyteller, even when one would assume his subject matter--his own experiences as a Holocaust survivor--is gripping material by its very nature.

Approximately the first two-thirds of the book is a recounting of Frankl's experiences as a prisoner in Nazi death camps during the later stages of World War II. This story of the search for meaning and the ultimate triumph of humanity in the face perhaps the most hopeless situation imaginable feels as though it should be inspiring, yet somehow it comes across as strangely clinical (although perhaps this is not so strange, considering Frankl's academic background). Harsh as it sounds even to my own ears, I didn't find the author's recounting of his first-hand experiences as a witness to one of the greatest crimes in the history of humanity to be particularly engaging. This is in no way a reflection on the subject; Frankl is just not a great storyteller. If one is looking for a moving, personalizing first-hand account of the horror that was the Holocaust, there are innumerable better sources.

But ultimately my criticism is a minor one, as it relates entirely to style and not substance. As a mental exercise the book truly comes to life in the all-too-brief final third or so, in which the author sets out his case for logotherapy, the school of psychotherapy with which he is intimately associated. It is here, in the section he titles "Logotherapy in a Nutshell" where he makes a compelling argument that the solution to most of the problems which confront us on a psychological level can be found not dissecting the pain from our past but in finding value in our future. Frankl is fond of quoting Nietzche, who once said wrote that "he who has a 'why' to live can bear almost any 'how'", even, apparently if that 'how' involves finding a way to endure a place like Auschwitz. Frankl is the champion of what he calls the "will to meaning"; in his estimation it is the human need for meaning that is at the root of all our existential angst.

And just what is the meaning of life? If you were to ask Frankl he would probably point at you like Jack Palance in City Slickers and say "that's what you've got to figure out." One of my favorite analogies from the book holds that asking a wise man to tell you the most important thing is in life is like asking a chess master what the best move is in chess; such an inquiry cannot be meaningful outside the context of the specific circumstances in which the "player" finds himself or herself. Frankl isn't going to tell you what to find meaning in, but he is going to tell you that until you find real meaning, you will wander in the existential vacuum which seems to imprison so much of modern society. On this point, I could not agree more.(less)

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