Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl was the founder of Logotherapy, who believed that finding meaning in life is the most fundamental human motivation. Through his extreme experiences in Nazi concentration camps, he personally demonstrated the vital importance of the search for meaning.
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Viktor Frankl (1905–1997)
Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and the founder of Logotherapy. The word 'Logos' comes from Greek, meaning 'meaning,' and his therapeutic approach centers on the discovery of meaning in life.
During World War II, Frankl endured extreme suffering in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz. Having lost most of his family and been stripped of everything, he witnessed firsthand that those who could find meaning in life were able to survive. His account of this experience, *Man's Search for Meaning*, has moved millions of readers around the world.
Frankl identified the most fundamental human motivation as the Will to Meaning — a third perspective distinct from Freud's pleasure principle and Adler's will to power. He proposed three pathways to finding meaning: creative values (creating something or engaging in meaningful work), experiential values (encountering love or beauty), and attitudinal values (the stance we take toward unavoidable suffering).
— *Mindy*
💡 Real-Life Example
It is not life that asks us what meaning it holds — rather, it is we who must answer to life with meaning.
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This content is for educational purposes and does not replace professional medical diagnosis.