Man's Search for Meaning by Victor E. Frankl - A true Gem

Sometime last year at the seminary, I was sitting in the library staring at the pile of books I needed to work on, and how I was going to go about it when an external book vendor visited the library and displayed his books at the front of the refectory. I was ecstatic. I know you would probably think, 'have I read all the books in the library?'. Definitely not. In fact, I asked myself the exact same question as I leaped off to see what he had brought. I think every bibliophile's curse is always to want more books. I don't believe we can call it a blessing, haha. Usually, this sort of vendor brings old books that their former owners have decided to forfeit due to space or whatever, and he (the vendor) being the collector, resells it. Immediately I saw Victor Frankl's book I knew there was no way I will miss out on it. It is an age-long book that holds knowledge of immense value. This book appears in almost every single book recommendation list you see out there on the internet. I had earlier tried to read the ebook but I wasn't feeling it, plus I wanted to have a copy for myself. Usually, when I read, I take a lot of time. One reason is that I am a lazy reader (yup, that's a thing), and the second is that I usually take time between books to digest what I just read, especially if it is something this profound. After over six months, today, I finally finished Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning and I am completely overwhelmed by emotions at the level of wisdom contained therein.

The book follows the experience of the author in the nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz. The author, being the narrator, narrates his ordeal from his perspective. His sufferings and pains, as well as that of his fellow comrade. The author, an Austrian neurologist-psychiatrist tells his tale from the standpoint of psychology and how people can find meaning in suffering, and perhaps see reasons to live on. In his book, he states the three stages of a typical inmate. First, the shock of being admitted into such an inhumane establishment and leaving everything behind. Second, a complete state of apathy, loss of hope, and seeing no reason to fight on, and lastly, depersonalization. A state where one has become completely detached from one's mind and body; from reality. In this book, the author defines the idea of Logotherapy. A theory which argues that there is meaning in suffering. The author also uses the classic and profound ideas of great philosophers before him to emphasize his idea. A perfect example is Fredrich Nietzche's words;

I have read quite a number of books this past few years that have left me awestruck due to the profound and insightful wisdom contained in them. Books from Mark Manson, to Austin Kleon, khalil Gibran, and a host of other authors. This book goes right to the very top of my list of my best-read books ever. I am a sucker for human experience. I enjoy reading, watching, or listening to men of old; brilliant men who have conquered themselves and the challenges life has thrown at them, and either come out unscathed or even better, become stronger from such experience. Reading about Victor's experience in the concentration camp was surreal. I kept imagining myself in there with him. How people were completely stripped of their humanity and left with absolutely nothing. I kept imagining how bad it must have been for a man to have no atom of hope. The book seems to be divided into three parts, first the experience of Victor in the camp, secondly his idea of logotherapy, and lastly its application. He narrates how he was able to help different patients find a reason to live and go through their pain because when there is a reason for your suffering, you tend to see it as a sacrifice; hope. Now you might wonder, did he ever answer the burning question; What is the meaning of Life?. He answers it quite perfectly. He likens it to a game of chess. If you ask a grand master what the best chess move is, he will tell you there isn't any. Different situations call for different actions. He further says;

It simply means that the true meaning of life is to be found in the world, and not in some man or book, or whatever. You can't predict the behavior of man, he goes on to further say. He told a story of one of the worst officers in the camp, only to later hear from one of the patients that he was the best person he had known years after the war. In finality, he makes one hell of a point. An ordinary man has the potential to behave in the most uncouth of ways or in the most saintly way. The one that is actualized solely depends on decisions and not his condition.