Man's Search for Meaning
A Holocaust survivor's memoir that argues the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of meaning.
Core Framework
Frankl introduces logotherapy, the "Third Viennese School" of psychotherapy after Freud's psychoanalysis and Adler's individual psychology. The central thesis: humans are driven not by pleasure (Freud) or power (Adler) but by a will to meaning.
Key Concepts
- Will to meaning: The primary motivational force in humans is finding purpose, not seeking pleasure or avoiding pain
- Tragic optimism: Maintaining hope while acknowledging suffering—saying yes to life despite everything
- Attitude as freedom: When we cannot change a situation, we can still choose our response to it
- Existential vacuum: Modern malaise stems from a lack of meaning, not repressed desires
The Concentration Camp Insight
Frankl observed that prisoners who maintained a sense of purpose—a reason to survive—had better odds of enduring. Those who lost hope often died within days. Suffering becomes bearable when it serves a purpose.
Practical Application
Logotherapy asks: "What is life asking of me?" rather than "What do I want from life?" Meaning can be found through creative work, experiencing beauty or love, or choosing one's attitude toward unavoidable suffering.