Lessons from Man’s search for meaning

1. A man can get used to anything

After explaining all the difficulties, he and his comrades faced during those years in concentration
camps where capos used to force them to move furiously on snow, there was no place to sleep
because camps were overcrowded, a limited supply of food etc. He come to the point that a man
can get used to anything that came in his way.
As a psychiatrist and medical student, he concluded that textbooks tell lies, as he heard somewhere
that a man cannot survive without sleep for certain number of hours, but they survived. Besides
this, he used to believe that he can not do certain things like he could not sleep or live without this
or that. All things were absolutely wrong. He had slept on tiers without pillows and limited blanket.
Including him all inmates were unable clean their teeth, but they had healthier gums than ever, they
wore clothes until they lost the appearance of being clothes, the were unable to wash for days
because of frozen water irrespective of all this they had survived.
2. Man is the output of many conditional and environmental factors
Usually, it is inevitable that human being is influenced by his surroundings. Despite of all this, a man
still has the choice of action towards these circumstances. All the situations of life can take
everything from a man except one thing and that is freedom, a freedom to choose one’s attitude in
any circumstances. This spiritual freedom makes life meaningful.
3. Suffering, an indispensable part of man’s life
If there is meaning in life at all then there must be a meaning in suffering as well. Without these
experiences such suffering, and death human life is incomplete. Now it depends on man how he
accepts all these situations and grow his inner self to the level of finding meaning and strength. The
way human accept sufferings gives him another opportunity to add meaning to his life and attain
high moral values in difficult situation. When a man finds that it is his destiny to suffer, he will accept
his sufferings as his tasks. His unique opportunity lies in the way he bears his burden.
4. A man can only bear by looking at the future
Its one of the unique qualities of human is that he can only live by looking at the future. This is the
only salvation in difficult circumstances of life. He endures because of his destiny. But those who
lost faith in future usually also lost his spiritual hold of optimism. They let themself decline and
become subject to mental and physical decay.
5. It did not matter what we expect from life but rather what life expected from
us
Life always confronts us with problems to solve not by talk and meditation instead by taking the
right action in right conduct. Ultimately, life means taking the responsibility to find right answers to
solve the problems that every individual face consistently. It is not possible to define life in general
way, as it differs from person to person, day to day and even hour to hour. Meaning of life is
concrete and real just as these tasks are concrete and real. These tasks from man’s destiny which is
different and unique for each individual. Sometimes, situation demands man to shape his own fate
by action. At other times, it is more useful and advantageous for him to take this opportunity to
think and realize assets in this way. Sometimes, man may be required to accept his fate and bear it.
All the circumstances are different in their own way.
Part II

Later on in part II, he gives and overview of what his own invented therapy to find meaning in life is all
about that is known as logotherapy.

According to this therapy, man’s main motive is not to find pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a
meaning in his life in every situation. As it changes from one individual to another continuously. We can
only find meaning in life in three ways:

1. By creating a work or by doing a deed

2. By experiencing something or by encountering someone
3. By the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering

First way is easy to understand however the second way to find meaning can be involved in three ways;
by experiencing something like goodness, truth, and beauty, by experiencing nature and culture and
finally by experiencing another human being in every way such as loving him. The last way is to change
one’s attitude toward his challenges when we are no longer able to change one situation.