Skip to main content

Man's Search for Meaning by Frankl - Review

Man's Search for Meaning

By

Viktor Frankl

1946/2006

Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is a seminal work that blends memoir and psychological theory. The book is divided into two main parts: Frankl’s personal experiences in Nazi concentration camps and an introduction to his psychotherapeutic approach, logotherapy.

Part I: Experiences in a Concentration Camp

Frankl recounts his imprisonment in several Nazi camps, including Auschwitz, where he endured starvation, forced labor, and the constant threat of death. Rather than presenting a linear narrative, Frankl uses his experiences to illustrate psychological responses to extreme suffering. He identifies three mental phases among prisoners: initial shock, apathy during prolonged captivity, and disillusionment after liberation (Frankl, 2006).

Despite the horrors, Frankl observed that those who maintained a sense of purpose—such as love for a family member or a future goal—were more resilient. He famously wrote, “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how’” (Frankl, 2006, p. 76). For Frankl, imagining his wife and mentally reconstructing his lost manuscript became lifelines that sustained him.

Part II: Logotherapy in a Nutshell

In the second section, Frankl introduces logotherapy, a meaning-centered form of psychotherapy. He argues that the search for meaning—not pleasure (Freud) or power (Adler)—is the primary human motivation. According to Frankl, life retains meaning under all conditions, even suffering. He outlines three pathways to discover meaning:

   Creative work or deeds (e.g., writing, building, helping others)
   Experiencing love or beauty (e.g., relationships, nature, art)
   Adopting a courageous attitude toward unavoidable suffering

Frankl emphasizes the concept of freedom of will, asserting that while we may not control our circumstances, we can always choose our response. This existential freedom, he argues, is the foundation of human dignity and psychological resilience.

Related Post

Viktor Frankl: Concepts and Theories


Reference

Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's search for meaning. Beacon Press. (Original work published 1946)


**********

Post Author

Geoffrey W. Sutton, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Evangel University, holds a master’s degree in counseling and a PhD in psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His postdoctoral work encompassed education and supervision in forensic and neuropsychology and psychopharmacology. As a licensed psychologist, he conducted clinical and neuropsychological evaluations and provided psychotherapy for patients in various settings, including schools, hospitals, and private offices. During his tenure as a professor, Dr. Sutton taught courses on psychotherapy, assessment, and research. He has authored over one hundred publications, including books, book chapters, and articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals. His website is https://suttong.com You can find Dr. Sutton's books on   AMAZON    and  GOOGLE. Many publications are free to download at ResearchGate   and Academia  


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changing Our Mind by D. Gushee - Review

Changing Our Mind   by David P. Gushee    Reviewed by Geoffrey W. Sutton Changing Our Mind by David P. Gushee is a transformative book that explores the author's evolving views on LGBTQ inclusion within Christianity. Gushee, a prominent Christian ethicist, shares his journey from holding traditional evangelical views to advocating for full acceptance of LGBTQ Christians in the church. He examines biblical texts and theological positions, encouraging readers to reconsider their beliefs in light of new understandings and the lived experiences of LGBTQ individuals. The book is a call for empathy, inclusivity, and a more loving faith community. ***** I read the Kindle version of the third edition of Changing Our Mind as part of my research into Christian worldviews focused on Christian moral perspectives toward people who identify as LGBTQ. I had previously addressed the topic from the perspective of moral psychology in A House Divided (2016) and in a few research studies co...
Post a Comment
Read more

JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE - A book review

  JESUS AND JOHN WAYNE How White Evangelicals        Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation By    Kristin Kobes Du Mez Reviewed by    Geoffrey W. Sutton   Kristin Kobes Du Mez begins and ends her assault on militaristic white American evangelical men with their contemporary sociopolitical leader, former president, Donald Trump. In the Introduction we learn the short doctrinal list of what it means to be a Bible-believing evangelical, but the author posits that American evangelicals are more than a set of theological statements. Instead, since the early 1900s they have embraced a John Wayne view of what it means to be a Christian man—a powerful warrior for country and God—a man who leads his troops into battle to uphold the values of God’s chosen people, the Americans. It was the title, Jesus and John Wayne , that was off-putting. I didn’t grow up with John Wayne films or a love of American westerns. I was after...
Post a Comment
Read more

Pentecostal & Charismatic Studies- Book List & Reviews

  I read a number of books reporting research with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians as a part of my own investigations and when writing Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians (2021). This book list with links to reviews or book summaries is the product of that research. I am using the concept, studies , to refer to scientific investigations that report quantitative or qualitative data. Some references refer to theorizing by scholars.  I do not include religious studies or theological sources because that is not my area of expertise, although I did read several of these works in preparing the aforementioned counselling book. Key Topics: Anthropology, Counselling, Criminal Justice, Psychology, Psychotherapy, Sociology, Integrating Christianity and Counseling or Psychotherapy   Counseling and Psychotherapy with Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians by Geoffrey W. Sutton. A summary of research studies about beliefs, pract...
Post a Comment
Read more