A new perspective on psychology
In a time when psychology focused primarily on problems and disorders, Viktor Frankl proposed something completely different.
Instead of asking: “what is wrong with a person?”, he asked:
“What makes a person want to live – even in the most difficult conditions?”
This is how logotherapy was born – an approach that places the search for the meaning of life at its center.
Who was Viktor Frankl
Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and neurologist, and his theory was born from the most difficult experiences.
During World War II, he was sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where he lost most of his family.
In the face of suffering, hunger, and uncertainty, he discovered something deeply human – that even in inhumane conditions, a person can maintain meaning and dignity.
Frankl recalled that prisoners who were able to give their suffering meaning had a greater chance of survival.
It was not the conditions that decided their strength, but their inner attitude – the conviction that life still has value.
The meaning of life according to logotherapy
For Frankl, the meaning of life was not abstract.
It is something that each of us can discover anew at different stages of life.
There is no single, universal meaning – what gives life significance today may change tomorrow.
Meaning is individual, dynamic, and personal.
According to logotherapy, a person can find meaning in three ways:
Through creation – work, actions, creativity, everything we contribute to the world.
Through relationships and love – contact with another person, empathy, closeness.
Through the attitude towards suffering – when pain cannot be avoided, one can give it meaning through the way we experience it.
Frankl wrote:
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.”
Suffering that can be transformed
Frankl emphasized that the goal of life is not avoiding pain or striving for pleasure, but finding meaning.
In the camp, he was repeatedly pushed to the wall – literally and symbolically.
Years later, he recalled that what kept him alive was the thought that one day he would be sitting in a lecture hall telling students about this “experiment”.
It was this vision of the future, even if it seemed unrealistic, that gave him strength.
For Frankl, suffering was not something to be sought, but neither was it something to be feared. If it cannot be avoided – one can give it meaning through a conscious attitude towards it.
The meaning of life and everyday routine
In everyday life, meaning manifests in small actions – in work, relationships, creativity, and caring for others.
Frankl believed that every person has their own calling that gives their life direction.
It is not always spectacular – sometimes it is simply performing one’s work honestly, raising a child, or helping someone in need.
It is through such actions that a person discovers their value and agency.
For Frankl, work was a form of dialogue with oneself – a way of self-discovery and development.
Why his thought remains relevant
Although many years have passed since the publication of the book “Man’s Search for Meaning”, Frankl’s ideas remain relevant.
In a world of haste, comparisons, and the pressure of success, logotherapy reminds us:
It is not about life being easy – it is about it having meaning.
Frankl showed that even in suffering, one can find freedom if we maintain the ability to give meaning to what happens to us.
Logotherapy – a way of thinking about life
Logotherapy is not only a therapeutic method but also a philosophy of life.
It helps to understand that meaning is not something one “has” – it is something that is constantly discovered.
Every day can be a step towards finding it – in work, relationships, or in the courage to face difficulties.
“He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.”
— Viktor E. Frankl
