Mans Search for Meaning Viktor Frankl

Since serve is a core belief of many people who give of themself for the greater good, it seem appropriate to reflect upon one of the many wise men who decided to share that wisdom. One of the most brilliant men to have shared his wisdom, besides Albert Einstein in my opinion was Viktor Frankl. As many know Mr. Frankl was a prison of war in a time that made no sense to most people. However, Mr. Frankl found meaning and purpose in the most horrific conditions a man could find himself in. Instead of focusing on his own trials of life, he focused on his love of his wife and the love of his fellow man.

Mr. Frankl explained Logotherapy as grounded in existential thought which he emphasizes as future thinking about how humans find meaning. He sought to bring the message of how aspects of meaning in an individual life impact the individual, past experiences as he purported do not define the individual. What defines an individual is how the individual attributes content to their experiences, define and refine personal meaning (Frankl, 1959).

Frankl summarized his assertion that meaning in life is an individual process, meaning and purpose are specific to a person and their situation. General meaning in life for all is but rather an idiosyncratic meaning and varies for the individual (Frankl, 1959). Frankl advised that the construct of meaning should be viewed as a function of self-transcendence of the human existence. He explained self-transcendence as the processes each person uses to find purpose and meaning in their experiences, specifically when those energies are directed outward. Outward in service to someone or something other than the self. Mr Frankl urged to find meaning and purpose in service. This concept of meaning describes the intellectual capacity of humanity, which Frankl differentiates from the need to endure meaninglessness but according to Frankl to humans are faced with the inability to really understand the unlimited nature of meaningfulness. 

Reference

Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man's search for meaning. Simon and Schuster.

Frankl, V. E. (1963). Man’s search for meaning. New York, NY: Random House.

Frankl, V. E. (1985). Man's search for meaning. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.