What is the meaning of life? What actions would one person have to accomplish to have lived a meaningful life?
I've been reading Viktor Frankl's A Mans Search For Meaning and I am completely amazed by this book. It depicts Frankl's life in a concentration camp and the psychological impacts he has seen in himself and the men he was imprisoned with. Through his experiences he begins to answer (as he knows it) that time honored question of what is the meaning of life.
He argues that humans are driven by the pursuit of what we find meaningful not by what we find pleasurable (such as Freud had). He believes that although suffering is unavoidable we can choose "to cope and find meaning in it, and to move forward" or we can choose to give up. Finding meaning in ones life is the greatest task of life. Frankl categorized work, love and the courage in difficult times as possible sources of meaning. He describes how the men he was imprisoned with, who lost the will to live were usually the first to die. He also acknowledged the psychological condition of reprieve which is the belief and hope that even at the second before death that they will be saved, that the last moment will not be horrible
I am moved by his words and find a lot of truth in them. I believe in the existential idea that one has freedom and choice to lead their life in the direction they wish to see it and that it is up to each person to find their own meaning in life. Someone can be dealt a bad hand but they have the choice to lift themselves up or let themselves fall.
I am still reading this book but it is fascinating so there will be a part two
What do you think is the meaning of life?
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I think the point of life is just to live. Enjoy it while we can; we won't be here forever.
I believe everyone has a purpose in life and everyone has a different definition of the meaning of life. I also believe that people should be strong and do what they want to do and be who they want to be. The only thing i strongly believe is everyone has a purpose in this world whether they have figured it out yet or not. As for the meaning of life I am not totally for sure but that book sounds interesting.
The meaning of life is impossible to explain with words. It can only be felt. Some books you can put down and see things in a completely different way. Recommended for this effect is Aldous Huxley's Heaven and Hell.
Im not sure what the meaning of life is, but i am sure that life is meant to live! I hope that while living it, i fufill my purpose, change some lives for the better and have lots of fun! Im on my way to Borders tomorrow to take a look at that book....sounds like a good read