Beruflich Dokumente
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“‘Et lux in tenebris lucet’-and the light shineth in the darkness.” This one sentence is
what summed up the life of Viktor E. Frankl. He was a man that endured many harsh
circumstances. A quality about him that sets him apart from most is that he still pursed to find
the meaning of life even when he had all the reason in the world to think otherwise. All life has
meaning; that is something Frankl desired the world to know through his testimony. There are
eight elements that brought meaning to Frankl’s life in the concentration camp even when things
seemed bleak. These elements were an intense inner life, camaraderie, manuscript, humor,
love, courage, choice, and the will to suffer by surrendering. Although by the grace of God I
haven’t experienced the horrors of living in a concentration camp, in my own personal life; I
have faced the same elements in different context. Frankl showcased his emotions by the way he
came across through these elements. He had to gain boldness and bravery to search for the
meaning of life.
Frankl had an intense inner life despite his circumstances. Frankl himself stated, “Here
lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the
moral values that a difficult situation may afford him.” This statement is the essence of Frankl’s
intense inner life. For a man to come to terms with certain choices he can make and knowing
well that choice will either keep him alive or leave him to die. This interior depth of the soul is
only attainable by a letting go of self. In Frankl’s time in the concentration camp, his thought of
making use of or forgoing the opportunities of attaining moral values led him to this inner peace;
We have all heard the word camaraderie before, but do we know the high importance it
holds? Do we know the value of the gift of camaraderie when it is all we have left in common
with the man sitting next to us? Frankl became well acquainted with the gift of camaraderie. It
gave him the strength not only to find joy in the suffering but it also showed him one of the most
importance lessons in life; you’re not alone. Throughout Man’s Search for Meaning, we see how
easy it could’ve been for Frankl just to give up. The significance of relatability with his fellow
man experiencing the same things builds a bond and a sense of comfort that sustains.
Frankl had limited treasures he held close to his heart during his imprisonment; and one
of them was his manuscript. Frankl states, “When I was taken to the concentration camp of
Auschwitz, a manuscript of mine ready for publication was confiscated. Certainly, my deep
desire to write this manuscript anew helped me to survive the rigors of the camp I was in.”
Frankl had the mindset of passion on his side. He was passionate about getting his message
across to the others. He came to terms with the original manuscript being taken, I believe his
desire to want to write a completely new one to spread his message aided his will. This passion
held deep within his heart to write his manuscript is what gave him the courage to not only fight
for his life, but to aspire to live so that by his witness, others would want to do the same.
When one thinks of the essence of humor, one does not think of a concentration camp.
Frankl’s approach to humor was much different than many others. He states, “It is well known,
more than anything else in the human make-up, humor can afford an aloofness and an ability to
rise above any situation, even if only for a few seconds.” What Frankl is trying to emphasize
here is that humor is what keeps one going in the midst of adversity. If everything around you is
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tearing you down, the creation of humor given or received can make all the difference; and so it
One of the greatest virtues we can ever live out is love. Frankl knew how important love
was and chose the act of it. He mention’s this virtue several times throughout his book. Frankl
states, “Love is the ultimate and highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the
meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart:
The salvation of man is through love and in love.” In his book, Frankl talks about the deep love
and affection he had for his wife; that she was what kept him going. In the statement specified
above, we see that yes, his love for his wife is true, but we also see the ultimate truth of gaining
sanctity; that is to know that salvation of man is through love and in love. Love is a choice. This
In the midst of death, one must take courage. All through Frankl’s text, we see him
striving to attain this courage every day. Frankl says it beautifully himself when he testifies, “But
there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest
courage, the courage to suffer.” The courage to suffer is not one that all can aspire too. Frankl
knew that he needed this courage to keep moving forward. Frankl had courage in the doubts
The will to suffer by surrendering is what gave Frankl the grace to seek these other
seven elements that saved his life and allowed him to see the meaning of life. Surrendering is
one of the hardest things one can do, but this surrender also gives hope. Once you surrender to
suffering like Frankl did, you will come to find it is out of your hands and all you can do is look
forward. This looking forward gave Frankl that will when he says, “In some ways suffering
ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.”
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Frankl himself was fixed on certain elements to aid him in finding the meaning of life. I
too, truly believe that value and meaning of life is found in eight of my own elements, which are:
Faith, love, intentionality, hope, trust, joy, surrender, and prayer. To me, most of these go
together. It’s hard for me to distinguish one without the other in my belief on the meaning of life.
My faith is the most important thing in my life. Faith in God and his love for me is what keeps
me going. This is the essence of the meaning of life I hold within me. Faith and love for the Lord
give me the courage to hope, trust, and surrender to the Lord’s plans for my life. Throughout
many circumstances in my life, I have come to know these three virtues have made me the
woman I am today; a woman who strives to pursue a relationship with the Lord. Prayer has been
an instrument in which I can maintain my relationship with the Lord and know him as the true
meaning of life. The act of intentionality on my part to seek prayer, brings my heart an immense
joy that ceases to fade soon after. These eight elements have allowed me to know that God is the
center of the true meaning of life and any trials or tribulations one faces, can endure them with
faith, trust, hope, love, and surrender to him through intentional prayer that brings joy.
A. The kind of person I want to be ten years from now is a 33-year-old woman with these
same elements of the meaning of life. These elements will aid me in being head of the
elements being a valuable asset to me in my profession centered around the faith. I hope
to teach my children these elements to the meaning of life and to help my husband and
B. The kind of person I want to be twenty-five years from now is a 48-year-old woman with
these same elements of the meaning of life. I can’t wait for the day to teach my
grandchildren the true meaning of life; love for God. I look forward to growing in
wisdom in these virtues and aiding my children as they grow of the importance to keep
seeking after these vital virtues, especially as they approach their young adult years. It
doesn’t matter how old I get, I will always pursue the elements I believe to be the
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