When one is trying to sleep or sits next to a window enjoying the rainy weather, the question “What is the meaning of life?” arises in one’s mind.
What should one do with one’s life?
And now imagine being arrested by the Nazi army for no reason other than your region or cast and being sentenced to death. And there’s almost no chance of survival.
So, the question is, can you think about the meaning of your life during such a time?
Summary of Man’s Search for Meaning
All these questions were encountered by Victor E. Frankl, the author of the book “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
He was separated from his family and placed in the most dangerous situations during WWII. When he was brought to the Nazi concentration camp, he took a deep breath to find ways to survive in a prison with no chance of freedom.
When he was in the Nazi concentration camp, he learned a lot about himself and the other prisoners, and after hearing about their experiences, he wanted to know what the meaning of life was.
Now the question is, what is the point of thinking about such things in a situation where anyone can be brutally murdered for no reason at all?
As the author stated, the only thing that can turn an unreal situation into bearable reality is patience and hope.
The author says that a person lives a meaningful life when he maintains patience and manages difficult circumstances. Circumstances are what give one the confidence to face the difficulties of acceptance.
But what if one does not talk about such things and becomes completely depressed? And lose all hope. And if one does not find the meaning of life, that prisoner will gradually become ill and die, because that prisoner does not discover the purpose of life and instead chooses death.
As beautifully presented in this book, if one discovers the true meaning of “Why,” he will discover the value of life and the meaning of “how”.
Many people choose professions in which they have no interest because they do not understand the “why.”
As a result, when they are confronted with a situation, they are unable to deal with it. When faced with demanding situations, we do not know the answer to the question “Why?”.
The main point of this book is that life does not have a single meaning; rather, as a journey of joy, we must recognize that each step is significant.
Nonetheless, one must give meaning to one’s life or determine one’s own meaning.
Victor E. Frankl was a man who was in the worst situations imaginable in his life, but he still found freedom there. He believed that no matter what kind of situation one was in, one could control one’s attitude.
A positive attitude makes one feel better about life.
Finding the Meaning of Life
He believed that if there is no meaning in one’s life, there are three ways to find meaning in one’s life.
The First Step
The first and most crucial step is to get to work. When he was taken to a construction camp, all his belongings were taken from him. He was drafting a book, and all the pages of that book were also taken from him.
The book was especially important to him because it contained the foundations of his entire life. It had been his life’s work. He had a big heart, but he didn’t give up and continued writing his manuscript to finish it.
He was a man who believed that his writing was a one-of-a-kind creation for the world, and he motivated himself to write a wonderful book that inspires millions of people around the world. He has given meaning to his own life as a result of it.
The Second Step
The second critical point, on the other hand, is to find love. He didn’t mean romantic feelings or movies when he used the word love.
In his book, he gives a genuinely nice example of a patient who lived with his disabled son and attempted suicide because she couldn’t find meaning of her life, but luckily her son saved her.
So, Victor E. Frankl asked her to imagine that she was 80 years old, that her life was full of pleasure, and that she didn’t have to care for her disabled son. So, she responded my life was a failure and that I couldn’t do any good.
As Victor E. Frankl puts it, “Imagine you’re 80 years old and have spent your entire life caring for your disabled son and providing him with a good lifestyle.” She discovered the meaning of her life after listening to these.
Love entails seeing other people’s potential and assisting them in reaching their desired goals.
The Third Step
The third critical point the author mentions is suffering. When Victor E. Frankil desired to live an ideal life, he was forced to spend his time in prison. He discovered the meaning of his suffering after enduring it.
By using this method, one can clearly find the meaning in his suffering and learn from it. Because without suffering and struggle, one may not understand the significance of one’s accomplishment.
The author taught us that we must find or give meaning to our lives.
By Nadia Nazeer Ahmed