Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility Theme in Man’s Search for Meaning

While many of Frankl’s contemporaries had very negative views of humanity after witnessing the horrors of the Holocaust, Frankl remained fundamentally an optimist. He believed that even the worst men could become good, because man has the capacity to change himself at any moment. This ability comes from the fact that no matter how horrible the situation in which a man finds himself, he is always free to choose his destiny by choosing how he reacts to that situation. Frankl defines himself as a “tragic optimist,” because he believes that man always has the potential to make suffering into an accomplishment, to turn guilt into motivation for change, and to use the potential meaninglessness of life as motivation for making his life valuable. While optimism is often associated with happiness, Frankl is clear that finding meaning, not happiness, is his goal.

Frankl is able to be optimistic because he believes that man is fundamentally free, and with that freedom comes responsibility. Man does not simply have the opportunity to find meaning in his life—he must do so. It is the question life asks of him, and he is responsible to life for finding its answer. When we lose our will to meaning and cannot meet this responsibility, we must reorient ourselves toward what we want to accomplish. By making ourselves responsible to things and people outside of ourselves, we can ultimately fulfill our responsibility to ourselves and to life itself. Frankl ultimately claims that everyone has unique vocations, and we must spend our lives finding these tasks and completing them to the best of our ability.

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Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility Quotes in Man’s Search for Meaning

Below you will find the important quotes in Man’s Search for Meaning related to the theme of Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility.

Who can throw a stone at a man who favors his friends under circumstances when, sooner or later, it is a question of life or death? No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might not have done the same.

Page Number and Citation: 48

Explanation and Analysis:

Great moral catastrophes like the Holocaust invite lots of judgment from all sides, but few of us would think first of judging the inmates of a concentration camp. However, those like Frankl who actually had to live or die in Auschwitz would naturally judge certain choices made by guards or other inmates. In this case, something so vital to Frankl’s survival as the equal distribution of food among inmates would prompt in any less generous a spirit great judgment and jealousy. But, as Frankl explains convincingly, it is senseless and often dangerous to judge people without first honestly exploring within Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui au

Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him—mentally and spiritually.

Page Number and Citation: 66

Explanation and Analysis:

Sigmund Freud and the school of psychoanalysis he spawned, which would go on to dominate Western psychological thought throughout the first half of the twentieth century, suggested that humans are driven primarily not by conscious desires but by deeper, more animalistic, often unknowable motivations. Throughout his book, Frankl unequivocally rejects what he calls pan-determinism, the very Freudian idea that people are driven by instincts (often unknowable to them) and cannot really make choices about what to do in any given situation. Frankl believes strongly that humans are not simple animals but can choose to “decide what shall become of [them]— Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accu

It is this spiritual freedom—which cannot be taken away—that makes life meaningful and purposeful.

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

This freedom we all have, to find what is meaningful and focus on it, is the only thing in Frankl’s philosophy that can pull us from the mire of despair and pain we all live in— to different degrees, as most of us have never experienced a concentration camp— toward spiritual realization. There are two aspects of this realization, as it must bring us toward that which is both “meaningful” and “purposeful.” It is essential to note, however, that Frankl does not posit this spiritual freedom as an escape from suffering; in fact, according to Frankl, suffering is one of Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperior

But there is also a purpose in life which is almost barren of both creation and enjoyment and which admits of but one possibility of high moral behavior: namely, in man’s attitude to his existence, an existence restricted by external forces.

Page Number and Citation: 67

Explanation and Analysis:

In this passage, Frankl begins to shape what he sees as the meaning of human suffering. Banned from both the “active life” of creative work and the “passive life” of enjoying other people’s creations, those like the Auschwitz inmates who are forced into an existence consisting almost entirely of suffering can still find meaning without access to either creation or enjoyment. The rest of the passage is a bit more confusing: what does Frankl mean when he says an existence of pure suffering “admits of but one possibility of high moral behavior: namely, in man’s attitude to his existence, an Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae volu

Life ultimately means taking responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.

Page Number and Citation: 77

Explanation and Analysis:

Frankl again brings up the central component of his essence of human existence, “responsibleness.” He asserts that we are human, and we exist, because of our responsibility to life itself, and therefore to the people and things that make it up. Until we find that thing to which we are most responsible— whether our suffering, or a meaningful act of creative work, or the object of our love— we cannot be said, as far as Frankl is concerned, to truly be alive. And until we do commit ourselves to this thing we will find ourselves immersed in existential frustration, or Dolorem et qua

Thus it is impossible to define the meaning of life in a general way. Questions about the meaning of life can never be answered by sweeping statements. “Life” does not mean something vague, but something very real and concrete, just as life’s tasks are also real and concrete. They form man’s destiny, which is different and unique for each individual.

Page Number and Citation: 77

Explanation and Analysis:

This passage is vital to building an understanding of Frankl’s aim in Man’s Search for Meaning. While Frankl has distinct philosophical aims in outlining what he calls logotherapy, his aim is not to explain the “meaning of life” in any universal or “general” sense. This sets him apart from philosophers like Descartes or Spinoza who made it their life’s work, ultimately, to decide what life in general could mean. “Life” for Frankl is not an abstract concept, but a composite of realities and our reactions to them— this is “very real and concrete,” and therefore calls for reactions that are Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis.

Every situation is distinguished by its uniqueness, and there is always only one right answer to the problem posed by the situation at hand.

Page Number and Citation: 77

Explanation and Analysis:

Continuing to fight against generalization, Frankl makes a general claim about how to respond to each unique situation: by finding the “one right answer” to the situation and acting accordingly. It remains unclear, though, what the right answer is to any particular situation, or how we would go about finding this right answer in general. Frankl might say that we cannot fail to find this “right answer” so long as we are committed to responsibleness; as long as we are striving toward that which gives us meaning, we cannot fail to find the correct response to each external stimulus. This Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provi

Life in a concentration camp tore open the human soul and exposed its depths. Is it surprising that within those depths we again found only human qualities which in their very nature were a mixture of good and evil?

Page Number and Citation: 87

Explanation and Analysis:

Frankl’s view of human nature is never a rosy one—how could we expect it to be after his time in Auschwitz?—and so he sees the “very nature” of people as “a mixture of good and evil.” Again, this represents a sort of tragic realism, a middle ground amidst a sea of traditions that suggest humans are either innately good or bad. The concentration camp again serves Frankl because it allows him to see people at their most raw; when it “tore open” the people around him, he was able to see what was inside, figuratively speaking. Concentration camps tore open Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea sus

One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.

Page Number and Citation: 109

Explanation and Analysis:

As Frankl has explained in earlier quotations, his book is not about finding the “abstract meaning of life”— the general answer to that perennial question, “What is the meaning of life?” Instead, Frankl pushes us always toward our “specific vocation or mission in life,” which consists of our “concrete assignments.” It is never quite clear who assigns each of us with these tasks, but given Frankl’s spiritual predilections the taskmaster is most likely God. Because each person’s task is unique, each life must also be unique and so cannot be repeated. This provides a basis for the tragic optimism central Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident exped

Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather he should recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.

Related Literary Devices:

Page Number and Citation: 109

Explanation and Analysis:

Frankl posits meaning-finding in this passage as an active and a creative process, rather than a passive task. In this spiritual framework, life calls on each of us to recognize our meaning and all of its specific tasks. Idly asking of life “what’s the point?” will leave us with little result; but, if we take on the responsibility of making our lives meaningful, we find ourselves closer to the realization of our own meaning. This claim seems confusing in contrast to Frankl’s assertion that all people have unique and specific meanings to discover in their lives, for if people are Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam offici

The emphasis on responsibleness is reflected in the categorical imperative of logotherapy, which is: “Live as if you were living already for the second time and if you had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now!”

Page Number and Citation: 109

Explanation and Analysis:

The 18th-century German philosopher Immanuel Kant used the term “categorical imperative” to refer to moral choices that the ethical person must make— a universal law of how to behave regardless of the situation. Frankl seems to use this term to refer to the main thing that all adherents of logotherapy must do in order to lead meaningful lives: to live as if you have already lived and made mistakes once. It is our mortality that gives us both all of the pain, guilt, and despair that come with life and the chance to make it meaningful despite this traumatic triad. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Ap

Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality. No one can become fully aware of the very essence of another human being unless he loves him. By his love he is enabled to see the essential traits and features in the beloved person; and even more, he sees that which is potential in him, which is not yet actualized but yet ought to be actualized.

Page Number and Citation: 111

Explanation and Analysis:

Frankl maintains that love is the only force which allows us to transcend the three types of trauma central to human existence— pain, despair, and guilt. To see beyond the superficial aspect of another person’s experience, into their “very essence” or “innermost core,” we must love that person. Lest we begin to believe that Frankl’s insistence on finding our own meaning in life means we should ignore other people and selfishly work only toward our own fulfillment, this passage reminds us of the importance of seeing other people’s “essential traits and features” and, even more importantly, the potential in them. Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Qu

Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness.

Page Number and Citation: 132

Explanation and Analysis:

Recognizing that people long deeply for freedom, even claiming to treasure freedom above all else, Frankl reminds us that freedom is not in itself a path to a meaningful existence. In order to make meaning out of our freedom, Frankl suggests, we must be responsible to the specific and unique tasks laid out for each of us. This fits strangely with Frankl’s earlier assertion that humans do have free will, and we might say that Frankl’s conception of free will is a limited one. Though we are free to choose, we can only have a meaningful existence if we choose Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. O

Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is. After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers at Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord’s Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips.

Page Number and Citation: 134

Explanation and Analysis:

The tragic realism Frankl mentions throughout his book comes into clear view here: because members of Frankl’s generation have experienced some of the most pointed suffering life can offer and gone on, upon their release from the camps, to realize that outside life brings still more suffering, they are uniquely poised to make claims about the most extreme aspects of the human soul. This realistic view reveals that humans are both innately good and evil. The latter is expressed in their invention of the gas chambers of Auschwitz, the former in their refusal to bow down before those gas chambers Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omni

Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility Theme Analysis

Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility ThemeTracker

Freedom, Optimism, and Responsibility Quotes in Man’s Search for Meaning

Experiences in a Concentration Camp Quotes

Logotherapy: The Meaning of Life Quotes

Logotherapy: The Essence of Existence Quotes

Logotherapy: The Meaning of Love Quotes

Logotherapy: Critique of Pan-Determinism Quotes

Logotherapy: Psychiatry Rehumanized Quotes