Viktor E. Frankl was born in 1905 and died in 1997. He is regarded as one of the most influential psychotherapists of the 20th century, has developed a form of existential analysis known as logotherapy. His work has been translated into 30 languages. However, he is best known for his book “Man’s Search for Meaning” which chronicles his experiences during World War II when he was imprisoned at Auschwitz and other Nazi concentration camps.
He received much acclaim for his self-help guide “The Doctor and The Soul,” which became an instant success after its publication in 1945 by Simon & Schuster’s predecessor, Rinehart & Company.
In this blog post, we look at some famous quotes from Viktor E. Frankl and implement them in different aspects of our lives.
1. “Our greatest freedom is the freedom to choose our attitude.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Psychologists have long understood that we can’t control what happens to us in life, but we can always control how we interpret and feel about what has happened.
2. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Between the place where something happens to us and how we choose to interpret or feel about it (which can be influenced by past experiences), there is a space of time in which we can make choices.
3. “The one who conquers himself is the greater hero.” – Viktor E. Frankl
This quote sums up in two words what self-improvement is all about; conquering yourself, your demons and removing your weaknesses.
4. “The meaning of life is to find your gift.” – Viktor E. Frankl
After having experienced the depths of human nature during his imprisonment in concentration camps, Frankl concluded that the meaning of life is primarily to bring value into other people’s lives.
5. “Live as if you were living already for the second time and as if you had acted the first time as wrongly as you are about to act now!” – Viktor E. Frankl
This quote reminds us to live in the present and not dwell on past mistakes. It’s a great way of putting things into perspective and realising that although we might have minor regrets in life, it means nothing if we continue to make the same mistake again.
6. “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” – Viktor E Frankl
This quote is a great reminder that we always have a choice in life. Although we can’t control everything, we can control how we feel and respond to things by taking action when necessary and making the right choices.
7. “I hold that man’s suffering is an experience in the existential sense only when the prime motive for telling it has been to let it serve for the easing of other people’s sufferings, that is to say when it has been prompted by compassion.” – Viktor E. Frankl
This quote reminds us that when we go through hardship in life, our main motive shouldn’t be to help ourselves solely but also to help others.
8. “The last of the human freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed that we choose how we react and behave during difficult times. We can either see things as an obstacle and give up, or we can find a way through and use our strength to overcome any challenge.
9. “Then I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved.” – Viktor E. Frankl
According to Frankl, love is one of the few things that can make us happy regardless of our situation in life.
10. “Under the influence of a world which no longer aspires to God and no longer keeps man’s spirit alive, we have started drifting at random without guidance, losing our orientation and disorienting others.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed that our modern world has failed to keep the spirit of humanity alive, which is one of the reasons why many people lack a sense of purpose in their lives.
11. “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, to choose one’s way.” – Viktor E. Frankl
We always have a choice, even if the choices seem limited. For example, we can choose our response to something or accept our situation and still be happy.
12. “The meaning of life is not in never falling down but in rising again!” – Viktor E Frankl
Frankl believed that life has no meaning if we are lying down on the ground becoming a victim of our circumstances. Instead, he emphasises the importance of rising and fighting for what you want. Although it’s okay to fall once in a while, most often, it will make your journey more difficult if you give up easily.
13. “What man needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for some goal worthy of him.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed that we all need an aim or goal in our lives to be happy and feel fulfilled. Only when we have something challenging to work towards and put in the effort (i.e. a passion or dream), we experience a sense of purpose in life and find happiness.
14. “We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few, but they offer sufficient proof that 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, to choose one’s way.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Many people imprisoned in concentration camps during the Holocaust witnessed selfless acts that made them realise that we can still find happiness even when our lives are stripped down to the bare minimum.
15. “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed that whenever an unfortunate event occurs in our lives, it results from our inaction and lack of effort. Even if things don’t go our way, we can still change and become better people.
Remember that your life is full of opportunities, whether you like it or not. There will always be many ways to achieve what you want in life as long as you make an effort and take action.
16. “The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” – Viktor E. Frankl
As long as we have the power to choose how we think, feel and act in any situation, nothing can ever take away our freedom. This makes us responsible for ourselves and our actions, which can have positive or negative consequences depending on how we deal with things.
17. “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” – Viktor E Frankl
Frankl believed that when we’ve experienced a great loss in life, finding a great meaning or purpose can help us overcome our struggles and transform our suffering into an inner strength.
18. “What is to give light must endure burning.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl believed that true happiness comes from within rather than any external factors. He argued that people who can shine with happiness and remain positive when life is difficult are those who have endured the greatest suffering.
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