Shut Up & Read

Here are the five things I learned from the book, Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl that changed my brain chemistry.

In this book, Viktor Frankl breaks the book into two parts. The first part tells us about his life in the Nazi camp during World War II, followed by a section where he describes his form of therapy called ‘logotherapy,’ which is essentially about finding the meaning of life to live or hold on to life.

There have been five major things I learned from this book that I’m going to share!

1. we need a positive attitude when facing bad things

I was shocked to discover that this book tells the story of a man who survived a Nazi concentration camp. First, because I hadn’t read the summary and didn’t know what it was about, and second, because he emerged to write an inspirational and spiritually healing book.

For him to speak about hope, love, purpose, cultivating our inner life, and seeing the good in life—despite the horrors he endured in the Nazi camp—was truly amazing. During the most difficult period of his life, and one of the darkest times in human history, he held on to life, wrote this book, and continued to become a great person and a doctor. I was sold!

I think that most of the time, I had this anger towards the world, towards the system that oppresses many people. For me, my suffering was because of those external factors, and I was trapped in the idea that I could never truly be happy if this system existed. But seeing this man who came from the most dire situation and yet lived felt like a wake-up call to me. I found that I could accept the situation, but I would always have control of how I felt about the situation. I don’t necessarily need to feel stupid, suffer, and be in anger and pain despite the realities.

Those bad things cannot and shouldn’t control me.

2. we aren’t looking for happiness; we are looking for the meaning of life

I’ve always strived to find happiness, but this book made me realize how fragile happiness can be—you have it one moment and lose it the next. However, embracing the idea that we don’t need to always be happy, but rather find a life worth living meaningfully, helps us navigate life. I’m not entirely sure if I held this view before; it might have been buried in my subconscious. The biggest takeaway is that if I find something meaningful to live for, it’s okay to feel bad or unhappy because that’s part of life. What’s important is having something to hold onto.

3. we can’t know the meaning of our suffering, and that is fine

We need to learn to be comfortable not knowing the meaning of our suffering. This isn’t the main message of the book, but he did mention it and I found it striking.

What is demanded of man is not, as some existential philosophers teach, to endure the meaninglessness of life, but rather to bear his incapacity to grasp its unconditional meaningfulness in rational terms.

Man’s Search for Meaning
Viktor E. Frankl

This quote brought me comfort. The idea that my life’s task is simply to be at peace with not knowing everything feels like a consolation. It acknowledges that we cannot know everything, including the very meaning of our lives or the suffering we experience.

4. we should cultivate our inner life

I think this is one of the most important things I’ve realized as I grow: I don’t know myself as well as I thought. I don’t fully understand my desires or what I truly want. Often, I discover small things about myself only after exploring new experiences. Reading, writing, and avoiding mindless scrolling on my phone help me become a more authentic version of myself and live the life I truly want, despite the noise around me. These practices help me cultivate my inner life, making me less affected by the negative things I hear or experience. It’s crucial to know yourself, stay connected with your heart and mind, and listen closely.

final thoughts…

I am so glad I encountered this book. It was recommended by my boyfriend, so a special shout-out to him for introducing it to me. I’d recommend this book to anyone who feels like they need this bright sunspot in a book. Whether you’re feeling sad, happy, or just in the middle (like I was when I read this book), you’ll probably enjoy it, find comfort in it, or find solidarity in the pain you’re going through.

I hope you enjoy this one. Let me know what you think about this book and what you learned. Which parts inspire you? You can also definitely share this book with your friends and family. It won’t disappoint.