Daily Archive

Viktor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning, observed that a person who has a strong enough “why” can cope with any “how.”  What he meant by this was that if your reason for enduring something is powerful enough (the why), you can endure whatever you need to for achieving your goal (the how).  His observations were based on his experiences in a Nazi concentration camp.  He observed that when others in the camp gave up their reasons for being, they died within a few days.  So, your meaning in life can actually have a link to and affect your physical health.  For some, their driving sense of meaning was their faith, and for others–seeing their families again.  The most important thing was that they had this sense of meaning.

Now towards the end of the book, he describes a survey that he conducted.  He found that one of the most meaningful experiences a person can have is overcoming great difficulty and then helping others to do the same.  I understand this on a very personal level as a Shrink, and it is very true.  I recommend the book if you haven’t read it.  It can give you a different perspective on life and suffering.