Book ReviewType

A Book Review

MAN 'S SEARCH FOR MEANING

Viktor E . Frankl

HOW MAN 'S SEARCH FOR MEANING ' AFFECTED ME

The autobiographical book of Victor E . Frankl is a very profound and heartfelt illustration of survival . I see that going thru trials problems , sacrifices and crossroads in life will truly awaken and enable me to learn a lesson know who I really am understand my ability and capability to cope and inspire , ignite and instill my sense of determination towards a resolve , towards a purpose , towards a meaning Man 's Search

for Meaning ' moved me to realizing that I should count whatever little blessings I have because as the poem Desiderata said Do not compare yourself with others - you may become vain or bitter for there will always be better or lesser persons than yourself ' I pray for the heroism and nobility of Mr . Frankl and I pray for the bliss of the steadfastness of my life

LOSSES AND CHANGES THAT OCCUR WITH LONG-TERM ABUSE AND TRAUMA

In the book , Mr . Frankl illustrated the extreme , harsh life-threatening treatment and condition in a Nazi concentration camp At whim and while , the soldiers will just randomly choose any prisoner who will be sent to the gas chambers who will be sent to forced labor who will be killed who will be beaten . The very first thing that comes to mind in this situation is to survive . And they pray very hard . The first stage of imprisonment , as Mr . Frankl describes , makes a captive frightened and shocked . He is utter , excruciating fear . Then as survival instincts keep him going on a minute to minute basis , the captive awakens to sense of apathy - a feeling of numbness to anything and everything else that is happening around him . He only wants to survive . Eventually , if fate and luck do design and a prisoner survives all the abuse and trauma , he can become disillusioned , disheartened , very bitter , diminished in values and morals , pessimistic , even with extreme sense of vengeance . He ceased living for the future , in contrast to a man in normal life . Therefore the whole structure of his inner life changed signs of decay set in which we know from other areas of life .Prisoners , too , suffered from this strange "time-experience " In camp , a small time unit , a day , for example filled with hourly tortures and fatigue , appeared endless . A larger time unit , perhaps a week , seemed to pass very quickly . My comrades agreed when I said that in camp a day lasted longer than a week . How paradoxical was our time-experience (Frankl , 1946

THE PHILOSOPHY OF VICTOR E . FRANKL

In the camp , Frankl saw that even amidst hopelessness , what equips the prisoner is that they believe in a future despite of all the hardships They did not want to surrender to despair . They know they will eventually find answers and relief

As Victor Frankl has therefore realized , life in concentration camps and life with suffering rested on prayers and luck to give the minutest hope...