A short read on finding the sunshine in the darkest of days and living life to the fullest from a Holocaust survivor.
'Even the dark and joyless episodes of our life can be times we mature and find meaning.'
A part-lecture, part-memoir book comprising of three of Viktor Frankl's lectures:
1. On the Meaning and Value of Life
2. On the Meaning and Value of Life II; and
3. Experimentum Crucis.
An introduction from Daniel Goleman informs us that Viktor Frankl delivered these lectures just nine months after his liberation from the last concentration camp and this is the first time it has been published in English; previous copies were published in German only. Goleman also provides some history into Frankl along with discussing themes of propaganda, suicide and how Frankl's teachings and writings impacted European attitudes post-war.
From lecture one:
'...the imperfect nature of human being is meaningful... it represents the individuality of our essential inner being. ' This quote from the first lecture resonated with me as I personally believe that imperfection is beautiful, that it creates uniqueness and encourages us to challenge ourselves to grow. In context, the quote delivers the purposeful message that life generates greater meaning through errors and mistakes no matter how difficult they may be to overcome.
From lecture two:
'...even suffering contributes to meaning and is part of the meaning of life.' I believe that we grow, develop and find our purpose moreso in the dark days, through our struggles as it's when we begin to question our existence. In context, through physical and mental sickness, one may find their purpose and draws attention to the fact that we, as individuals, are the only ones responsible for our lives.
From lecture three:
'Every single moment contains thousand of possibilities - and I can only choose one of them to actualise it .' This was a lovely quote in the final lecture from Frankl as it served as a reminder to the reader that we have the ability to make the best out of each moment, we choose our pathway and our decisions pave the way for the next moment.
An insightful afterward from Frankl's son-in-law, Franz Vesely, brings light into the work of Frankl both pre and post war. It seems that Frankl was always fascinated with exploring the meaning of life while managing suicide and had a deep-rooted admiration for life and what it has to offers us.
I was concerned about whether this would be an enjoyable book for me given the content is quite heavy, focusing on themes of suicide, concentration camps, mental illness and, ironically, hope. Although the book focuses on these primarily dark concepts, Frankl was optimistic in his tone as he spoke about these concepts and gave inspiration to the reader (listener) of his words. Although the lectures were delivered in 1946, the morals and teachings delivered are timeless.
Trigger warning for anyone looking to read this book: death by suicide, descriptions of concentration camp experiences, euthanasia, forced annihilation, mental illness and suicidal ideation.
Completed on: 30th March 2021
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