Man's search for meaning

 7 life-changing lessons from the book "Man's Search For Meaning"

1. Accept what you can’t control

We cannot always control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond.

Accept this. Do not fight it. 

Accepting you can only control how you respond gives you more control than trying to control everything.

2. Success is a by-product of vision

Instead of putting all of your time and energy into becoming successful,

Put all of your time and energy into creating value, into something bigger than yourself, and success will come.

3. There is meaning in suffering

Frankl explains that suffering is a part of life - it is unavoidable

Hence, if there is meaning in life, there is meaning in suffering.

“Without suffering and death, human life is incomplete”

4. Suffering doesn’t last forever

As much as suffering is unavoidable - it is not constant.

There will come a time of liberation, a time where the suffering ceases.

That time is generally when you find or create the meaning behind your particular suffering.

5. Self-actualisation is a by-product of self-transcendence 

Man must give himself completely to another cause, to his purpose

When he does this man will become more human than he could imagine and the more human he is the more he actualises himself and releases his potential.

6. Purpose keeps us alive

Frankl documents how those in Auschwitz who had given up hope, that had not created their purpose, would soon pass

But those who knew they had something or someone waiting for them after liberation would carry on surviving through the hell they were in

7. Man creates his purpose

“Man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather recognise it is he who is asked”

Life questions us, it challenges us, and it is up to us to answer the question, rise to the challenge and give meaning to our lives.