The Meaning Of Life According To Viktor Frankl

The meaning of life according to Viktor Frankl is to find a purpose, to assume responsibility for ourselves and for the human being himself. Thus, having a clear “why” we will be able to face all the “hows”; Only by feeling free and sure of the goal that motivates us, will we be able to generate changes to create a much nobler reality.

We know, we are all clear that there is no question as complicated as trying to define what is for us what we call “meaning of life”. This question sometimes encompasses philosophical, transcendental and even moral nuances, which is why very often we remain in the classic labels of always, namely “being happy and making others happy”, “feeling satisfied”, “doing good “, etc. 

However, there are many who, when trying to answer this question, experience a deep existential emptiness. What is the meaning of life for me if all I do is work, if all my days are the same and if I don’t really find meaning in anything around me? Faced with this common situation, the famous neurologist, psychiatrist and founder of logotherapy, Viktor Frankl, used to give a quite correct answer that should invite us to a proper reflection.

The human being does not have the obligation to define the meaning of life in universal terms. Each of us will do it in our own way, starting from ourselves, from our potential and experiences, discovering ourselves in our day to day. What’s more, the meaning of life not only differs from one person to another, but we ourselves will have a vital purpose at each stage of our existence.

The important thing is that each objective gives us satisfaction and encouragement to get up in the morning and fight for what we want.

The meaning of life for Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl published ” Man’s Search for Meaning” in 1945 , a book that inspired millions of people to take a very firm attitude: the attitude of self to life. Frankl, as we already know, lived the horrors of the Holocaust on his own skin by being one more prisoner in Auschwitz and Dachau, an experience that he stoically overcame and that subsequently allowed him to lay the foundations of a very personal type of therapy, that one at the time. which we know as logotherapy.

Likewise, something that was very clear to him after surviving those years and the loss of his family is that his personal purpose in this world was not going to be other than to help others to find their own meaning in life, to choose his path. On the other hand, as he explained in his work, this objective was carried out starting from three very specific points:.

In this research carried out by the Universidad del Norte (Colombia), logotherapy or also called Third Viennese School of Psychotherapy is used for the study of a clinical case. The three basic anthropological dimensions proposed by Viktor Frankl and which make this school a way of intervention based on meaning are highlighted . The first of them is the biological or somatic, constituted by the corporal. The second, the psychic, is made up of the psychodynamic characteristics of the human being. And the third and last, the spiritual, which transcends the previous ones.

Let’s see next what dimensions would be those that each of us should work to find our own vital goals.

Live decisively

We have all seen it at one time or another. There are people who even in the most complex circumstances remain firm, positive and motivated no matter how dark their reality is. How do they do that? What material are your cells, tendons, heart, or arteries made of? In reality, we all share the same biological structures, but what differentiates us from these people is their decision.

Being determined to achieve something, to overcome any obstacle and to fight for what we want in each moment, no matter how small, will help us to be clear about our vital purposes at each stage of our life.

Even if you suffer, have a clear purpose: you will find strength

Viktor Frankl explained in his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” that there is nothing worse than perceiving that our suffering is useless, that pain is nothing more than the echo of hopelessness.

• Now, if we are able to find a purpose, suffering can not only be endured, but it will become quite a challenge. 
• In this way, and before falling into surrenders and seeing nonsense in pain, let us combine strengths to see in it a purpose, a vital purpose with which to feed motivation, resistance …

Change your attitude to find a higher meaning in life

Sometimes life is not fair. Sometimes we push ourselves to exhaustion, we invest time, energy, emotions and a piece of our own heart … and yet, fate brings us an ironic setback and every effort, every dream is disintegrated. Falling apart in these cases is more than logical and understandable. Now when this happens we have two options.

• The first is to assume that we cannot change what happens to us, that we are prisoners of circumstances and that there is nothing to do.
• The second option (and the recommended one) is to accept that, indeed, we cannot change what has happened to us, but we can change our attitude towards these circumstances.

Therefore, we must be able to apply a stronger, more resilient and positive attitude in order to find a more hopeful, higher meaning of life.

The meaning of life is not asked, it is felt

All the answers to our vital doubts are not abroad. Books will not explain to us what our own meaning in life is, nor does our family or friends have any right to dictate our purposes. In reality, all of our existential needs, passions and goals are within us, and what is even more interesting, they will change over time as we mature, as we grow as human beings.

Thus, nothing is as important as assuming our own freedom and personal responsibility to define our goals, those that we will make ours even in the worst circumstances. As he explained himself Viktor Frankl, c ach day and every moment we have the opportunity to make a decision, a decision that will determine: whether be subject to the circumstances, as a plaything of fate or act with true dignity, listening to our true self.

Let us think about the latter, let us work on our personal freedom with courage, with determination.