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Man’s Search for Meaning

Part 1: Frankl’s Life:

“‘Et lux in tenebris lucet’-and the light shineth in the darkness.” This one sentence is

what summed up the life of Viktor E. Frankl. He was a man that endured many harsh

circumstances. A quality about him that sets him apart from most is that he still pursed to find

the meaning of life even when he had all the reason in the world to think otherwise. All life has

meaning; that is something Frankl desired the world to know through his testimony. There are

eight elements that brought meaning to Frankl’s life in the concentration camp even when things

seemed bleak. These elements were an intense inner life, camaraderie, manuscript, humor,

love, courage, choice, and the will to suffer by surrendering. Although by the grace of God I

haven’t experienced the horrors of living in a concentration camp, in my own personal life; I

have faced the same elements in different context. Frankl showcased his emotions by the way he

came across through these elements. He had to gain boldness and bravery to search for the

meaning of life.

Frankl had an intense inner life despite his circumstances. Frankl himself stated, “Here

lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the

moral values that a difficult situation may afford him.” This statement is the essence of Frankl’s

intense inner life. For a man to come to terms with certain choices he can make and knowing

well that choice will either keep him alive or leave him to die. This interior depth of the soul is

only attainable by a letting go of self. In Frankl’s time in the concentration camp, his thought of

making use of or forgoing the opportunities of attaining moral values led him to this inner peace;

a peace that can only come by the grace of God.

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We have all heard the word camaraderie before, but do we know the high importance it

holds? Do we know the value of the gift of camaraderie when it is all we have left in common

with the man sitting next to us? Frankl became well acquainted with the gift of camaraderie. It

gave him the strength not only to find joy in the suffering but it also showed him one of the most

importance lessons in life; you’re not alone. Throughout Man’s Search for Meaning, we see how

easy it could’ve been for Frankl just to give up. The significance of relatability with his fellow

man experiencing the same things builds a bond and a sense of comfort that sustains.

Camaraderie made life more than bearable, but attainable.

Frankl had limited treasures he held close to his heart during his imprisonment; and one

of them was his manuscript. Frankl states, “When I was taken to the concentration camp of

Auschwitz, a manuscript of mine ready for publication was confiscated. Certainly, my deep

desire to write this manuscript anew helped me to survive the rigors of the camp I was in.”

Frankl had the mindset of passion on his side. He was passionate about getting his message

across to the others. He came to terms with the original manuscript being taken, I believe his

desire to want to write a completely new one to spread his message aided his will. This passion

held deep within his heart to write his manuscript is what gave him the courage to not only fight

for his life, but to aspire to live so that by his witness, others would want to do the same.

When one thinks of the essence of humor, one does not think of a concentration camp.

Frankl’s approach to humor was much different than many others. He states, “It is well known,

more than anything else in the human make-up, humor can afford an aloofness and an ability to

rise above any situation, even if only for a few seconds.” What Frankl is trying to emphasize

here is that humor is what keeps one going in the midst of adversity. If everything around you is
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tearing you down, the creation of humor given or received can make all the difference; and so it

did for Frankl.

One of the greatest virtues we can ever live out is love. Frankl knew how important love

was and chose the act of it. He mention’s this virtue several times throughout his book. Frankl

states, “Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. 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.” In his book, Frankl talks about the deep love

and affection he had for his wife; that she was what kept him going. In the statement specified

above, we see that yes, his love for his wife is true, but we also see the ultimate truth of gaining

sanctity; that is to know that salvation of man is through love and in love. Love is a choice. This

choice of love kept Frankl alive.

In the midst of death, one must take courage. All through Frankl’s text, we see him

striving to attain this courage every day. Frankl says it beautifully himself when he testifies, “But

there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest

courage, the courage to suffer.” The courage to suffer is not one that all can aspire too. Frankl

knew that he needed this courage to keep moving forward. Frankl had courage in the doubts

against courage and ultimately this courage of pursing life prevailed.

The will to suffer by surrendering is what gave Frankl the grace to seek these other

seven elements that saved his life and allowed him to see the meaning of life. Surrendering is

one of the hardest things one can do, but this surrender also gives hope. Once you surrender to

suffering like Frankl did, you will come to find it is out of your hands and all you can do is look

forward. This looking forward gave Frankl that will when he says, “In some ways suffering

ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”
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Part 2: My Own Life

Frankl himself was fixed on certain elements to aid him in finding the meaning of life. I

too, truly believe that value and meaning of life is found in eight of my own elements, which are:

Faith, love, intentionality, hope, trust, joy, surrender, and prayer. To me, most of these go

together. It’s hard for me to distinguish one without the other in my belief on the meaning of life.

My faith is the most important thing in my life. Faith in God and his love for me is what keeps

me going. This is the essence of the meaning of life I hold within me. Faith and love for the Lord

give me the courage to hope, trust, and surrender to the Lord’s plans for my life. Throughout

many circumstances in my life, I have come to know these three virtues have made me the

woman I am today; a woman who strives to pursue a relationship with the Lord. Prayer has been

an instrument in which I can maintain my relationship with the Lord and know him as the true

meaning of life. The act of intentionality on my part to seek prayer, brings my heart an immense

joy that ceases to fade soon after. These eight elements have allowed me to know that God is the

center of the true meaning of life and any trials or tribulations one faces, can endure them with

faith, trust, hope, love, and surrender to him through intentional prayer that brings joy.

Part 3: The Future:

A. The kind of person I want to be ten years from now is a 33-year-old woman with these

same elements of the meaning of life. These elements will aid me in being head of the

communications department in a Catholic non-profit organization. I foresee these

elements being a valuable asset to me in my profession centered around the faith. I hope

to teach my children these elements to the meaning of life and to help my husband and

myself to continually grow in these.

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B. The kind of person I want to be twenty-five years from now is a 48-year-old woman with

these same elements of the meaning of life. I can’t wait for the day to teach my

grandchildren the true meaning of life; love for God. I look forward to growing in

wisdom in these virtues and aiding my children as they grow of the importance to keep

seeking after these vital virtues, especially as they approach their young adult years. It

doesn’t matter how old I get, I will always pursue the elements I believe to be the

meaning of life and aid those around me to do the same.

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Bibliography

Frankel. Man's Search for Meaning. Beacon Press, 2006.