Topic > Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl - 1223

Life was consumed by constant orders, work, malnutrition, disease, and murder in concentration camps. Yet, somehow, the human psyche of many individuals has managed to resist these imprisonments. Men and women were almost completely dehumanized during this genocide, but their psyches survived. People had to find little things to keep themselves content and nourish their psyche. “Humor was another of the soul's weapons in the struggle for self-preservation” (63). Humor allows a person to escape a situation and overcome it, even if only for a short time. Humor can never be taken away from anyone because it is naturally within us. Humor inside the concentration camps allowed people, even for a fraction of a second, to feel free and not in this confinement. “The attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is a kind of trick learned by mastering the art of living” (64). It would be much harsher on the human psyche if you couldn't escape every now and then and realize the humor in something. Humor has allowed people to relax and release stress, allowing the human psyche to remain healthier. Viktor E. Frankl explains how man can find meaning and reason in his life. Viktor faces obstacles throughout his life and questions arise that he has difficulty answering. The same pattern of obstacles and questions shows up in my life. Although Viktor's imprisonment in a concentration camp was far more daunting than anything else in my life, he still had to answer the same questions in life as I did. What is my meaning? Why would I… half the paper… and it's usually never talked about. This book does an exceptional job of talking about the topic within a great story. The reader is not only given information about logotherapy and meaning, but connects and understands the writer's points of view. After what Frankl has been through in his life, the reader respects him and really focuses on what he has to say. However I don't completely agree with everything he writes. Frankl sometimes focuses too much on organizing ways to find meaning in life, including the three ways to find meaning. I firmly believe that everyone can find their own meaning in every aspect of life. It is not possible to organize meaning into categories because it is too personal and varies greatly depending on each person's personal circumstances.