One concept discussed in this book is human adaptation. Viktor Frankl explains how humans can adapt to any conditions/environment. What individuals are exposed to becomes what they are accustomed to. “Dotoevski’s statement…flatly defines man as a being who can get used to anything.” (36) It is a frightening reality that individuals will adapt to anything and become custom to it and may become habitual. A habit is an action in which a person acquires from a regular pattern to the point where it becomes involuntary. These habits will make or break someone, and are a great predictor of the future for an individual. Habits are preformed involuntary, so people do not need to think before performing a habit and this is how it makes or breaks a person. This leaves people doing things that they do not even realize that they are doing. Habits are usually hard to change once a person becomes custom to it. This is why a single bad habit can change someone’s life.
In the book Man‘s Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl, makes the notion that everyone has the choice to choose their attitude. He explains that no matter how horrible and terrifying an action may be, psychological reactions are not based upon these actions. People tend to use these actions as an excuse for theirs but it is a conscience decision in which an individual makes. Even though these prisoners are experiencing an environment of death and sadness, it is still possible to find meaning behind the suffering they are encountering. People can find the meaning of their suffering by reflecting positively on their life and what they have accomplished in their life time, even though death seems inevitable to them. “What alone remains is ‘the last of human freedoms’- the ability to ‘choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.’”(12) This is true because everything can be taken away from a person and the last thing they will have is their attitude and how they react to their circumstances. Suffering is shown constantly throughout this book. Viktor Frankl makes the comparison of suffering to a gas chamber, such as one in the concentration camps: “a man’s suffering is similar to the behavior of gas. If a certain quantity of gas is pumped completely and evenly, no matter how big the chamber, conscious mind, no matter great or little. Therefore the “size” of human suffering is absolutely relative.”(64) What Viktor Frankl is explaining here is that there is no measurement of suffering. This is because pain is pain and suffering is suffering no matter what the circumstances. Life is going to ask questions and choices will have to be made. People do not ask life questions. Sometimes a person will be given a chance to shape their fate by making a choice and other times they will have to accept fate and bear the burden past down to them. “That which doesn’t not kill me, makes me stronger.” (103) Sometimes life will give a person a burden in which they will have to carry but that occurrence, if not resulting in death, will make that person stronger. Suffering, not leading to death, usually betters both physically and mentally.
The main concept in this book is the meaning of life. “‘He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.’” (97) This means that anyone who has a purpose to live can live under any circumstances. In the book Man’s Search For Meaning, it is shown that once an individual believed they had no reason to live and they became susceptible to death:
“On March twenty-ninth, F---- suddenly became ill and ran a high temperature. On March thirtieth, the day his prophecy had told him that
the war and suffering would be over for him, he became delirious and
lost consciousness. On March thirty-first, he was dead…he had died of
typhus…The ultimate cause of my friends death was that the expected
liberation did not come and he was severely disappointed. This suddenly
lowered his resistance against the latent typhus infection. His faith in the
future and his will to live had become paralyzed and his body fell victim
to illness--and thus the voice of his dreams was right after all.”
This example shows that as people lose courage and disappointment overcomes them they become susceptible to illness and death. A persons mental well-being is usually intertwined with their physical well-being. This is a prime example of an emotional death or apathy. This is the worst human state to be in. This can occur by the longing for family and a hope or disgust with the ugliness in which surrounds them. In this case it was both. The fact they were not liberated/able to go home and there were many cruel/ugly acts occurring in the Auschwitz concentration camp and neighbouring areas this man lost his will to live. People should not ask what the meaning of their life is because it is a question which is directed towards the person. Success is a goal in which all of society wishes to achieve. But how it is achieved is not by making it a prime goal in life. People need to do what they love and are good at. Success will then come naturally. “Don’t aim at success- the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it.” (17) Success can not be obtained when it is being looked for. To achieve success it must be ignored. People can not find success, it has to find them. “For success, like happiness can not be pursued: it must ensue” (17) Individuals need to listen to their conscience and let it lead them. Success will not be able to be achieved if a persons conscience is tainted with the need of success. This is because success is an after effect. Only when success is forgotten can it be achieved. Wealth and fame is not the purpose in life, if they happen it is an aftereffect of what a person is doing with their life.
The book Man’s Search For Meaning contains many insightful messages in which the reader can relate to life. The meaning of a persons life can not be determined by anyone but the individual and God. This book shows that no matter what the circumstances, anything can be overcame. It shows the lives of the prisoners in Auschwitz and what they did to survive the concentration camp (into the minds of the prisoners). There are many different theories characterizing the question: what is the meaning of life? Religions, philosophers, scientists, and society have tried to answer this question. But for someone to determine a single answer for this question is illogical. Each person has there own meaning in life and only they can answer it.
Bibliography
Frankl, E Viktor. Man’s Search For Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, 1959
