The Book Mans Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl - Essay Example

Meaning of Life Victor Frankl, the of the book Man’s Search for Meaning, lost his entire family in the Nazi’sconcentration camps of the in Germany. The concentration camps were made for prisoners that were used as slaves during World War II. Apart from losing his family, he also lost all his physical belonging on his first day in the camps and hence was left with nothing but himself. Worst of all the experiences that he faced, he was forced to surrender his scientific manuscript that was the work he had accomplished his entire life. Frankl endured all forms of torture ranging from cold and hunger to extreme brutality while at the camp (Frankl, 2-6). Besides these tortures, he encountered constant threats of being thrown into the gas ovens probably because of his physical appearance. However, in spite of the experiences he faced in the three camps that he served, he emerged as a visionary person. His reason for being optimistic was that human beings hold the freedom of choosing the manner in which they view the circumstances they undergo on a daily basis. Therefore, they create meaning from such circumstances. Frankl outlined three experiences that the prisoners went through after their arrival at the concentration camps, during their stay there and after they were freed from the camps. After realizing where they had been taken to and the reason for their transfer, the first experience that the prisoners felt was the shock. Later, the shock would be replaced by a second experience. The experience would be the phase of psychological reaction as well as apathy. These were the necessary methods that the prisoners would use to cope with the abuse that they received from their supervisors. During this stage, the fear of death was no longer the prisoners’ concern. On the contrary, the part that was most painful was the insults that they received. The prisoners would be given uniforms that were more of rags (Frankl, 7-26). Also, they would be issued with shoes most of which did not fit them. Those who had reported with better shoes had no choice but to give them to the SS guards or risk severe punishments. At a time, the prisoners were forced to walk bare footed on the snow since their shoes had been worn out. The author describes a twelve-year-old boy who he saw being taken to the sickbay. The boy had been forced to stand attention on the snow bear footed for hours because there were no shoes for him at the camp. The results were that the boy’s toes got some frostbites. Frankl writes that there was a frequent selection between the workers and the dead. This implies that many prisoners lost their lives on a daily basis and, therefore, apathy was the only self-defense that the prisoners held. Some of the prisoners would dream being fed with cakes or receiving better baths but in reality; all that they received was one bread and soup a day. This was not enough compared with the type of work that they did. Frankl also describes the way prisoners would grab clothes, food, and even shoes from a fellow prisoners that had died. The dead were, and those who were dying were treated more like animals. He describes some instances where he felt injustice was committed to him by the SS guards. At one point while lining for bread, a fellow prisoner was out of the line. Unfortunately, it was Frankl that received a beating. At another instance, his team was working on the railway track on a snowstorm. He paused for a moment to get some breath. Unfortunately, a guard turned and saw him. He picked a stone and threw it to Frankl, an act that made him feel worthless (Frankl, 27-30). Also, he describes how he was aroused one night by a fellow prisoner that was groaning from a nightmare. Due to his pity on people that suffered from deliria, he was tempted to wake him. However, before he could wake him up, he became conscious of what he was about to do. He thought that the dream could not have been more horrible than the torture that the prisoners were going through. Resultantly, he opted not to wake the man to avoid taking him back to the reality of the place he was in. This was evidence that apathy was the only weapon for survival in the camp. Despite the suffering that Frankl went through, he wrote that both joy and suffering are two relative concepts (Frankl, 34-44). Their meaning is only determined by individuals with reference to their experiences and their aspirations. As such, the prisoners learned the value of life and held some religious beliefs secretly. Also, he wrote that people have the control to choose what will become of them both spiritually and mentally. Hence, this is one principle that made the survivors make it out of the horrifying experiences. Frankl uses the second phase of life at the camp to show that life is what individuals make it be. For instance, when he refused to wake the man who had a nightmare, he did not want to make him feel bad by coming back to reality. He understood that many prisoners were desperate to leave the camp and so their thoughts were anchored on the day they would be set free. Many prisoners had succumbed to the apathy and irritability that was being experienced. However, there were other prisoners that expressed compassion for their fellows. They would comfort those that had lost hope of living, and they went to an extent of sharing their last piece of bread with them. From such experiences, Frankl writes that the type of prisoner that one became depended on their inner decisions. He writes that the environment was not the only factor that could determine the kind of prisoner that one ended becoming. Also, he wrote that inner freedom would also impact on the type of prisoner one would become. Internal freedom, according to Frankl, was available even in the worst conditions. It is the freedom to choose the attitude that an individual prisoner would have towards their sufferings. In my opinion, I believe that Frankl’s claim concerning meaning of life is correct. No one can change one’s mental inclination or spiritual inclination. This is because every individual has the key to their mental and spiritual freedom. For instance, Frankl would have died like other prisoners but due to the mentality he held on the first day at the camp, he did not commit suicide. Otherwise, he would have taken his life by use of the electric fence. This is evidence that he saw meaning in his life. He knew that at some point, he will be set free and will continue with his profession. The same applies to every individual. The situations that one is facing should not change their meaning in life. Hence, meaning of life can be achieved by performing actions, through the experiences that one encounter in life or through the attitude that one develops when facing sufferings (Reker, Edward and Paul, 23-44). For instance, one can get the meaning of his or her life through some actions they performed some time back. In the case Frankl, he found the meaning of life by helping his fellow prisoners. Secondly, an individual can find the meaning of life through some life encounters. For example, one can survive a tragic accident that may claim many lives. From such an experience, he or she may find the meaning of life that he or she did not have before the encounter. Lastly, the attitude that one develops in times of suffering is likely to make them have a different meaning of life. For instance, it was Frankl’s attitude when he was at the camp that made him know the value of living again. Finally, life has meaning despite the ups and downs that one faces. The determinant of whether one finds the meaning of life is the attitude towards the situation they are in. Works Cited Frankl, Viktor E. Mans Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press, 2006. Print. Reker, Gary T., Edward J. Peacock, and Paul TP Wong. "Meaning and purpose in life and well-being: A life-span perspective." Journal of Gerontology 42.1 (2007): 44-49. Read More