Dr. Viktor E. Frankl's Experiences In A Concentration Camp
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Dr. Viktor E. Frankl was a psychiatrist who told of his experiences during his three years as an inmate in the Nazi concentration camps during the Holocaust in his novel, Man’s Search for Meaning. His novel is divided into two parts: the first section, “Experiences in a Concentration Camp”, is a narrative description of Frankl’s personal as well as his inmate’s experiences in the concentration camp and how he evaluated and interpreted those experiences which led to the development of his theory. Throughout his time in the camps, Frankl witnessed an enormous amount of suffering which resulted in many inmates losing their sense of meaning of life. Living in poor health environments, being deprived of their possessions, forced to work under strenuous conditions, and the constant fear of danger and death; these are all examples of what this section is really about: although suffering is unavoidable, there is value in suffering; for it can bring meaning to life—a truly inspiring and thought-provoking idea that will cause…show more content… They lost their values and sense of hope and let their suffering take over their lives because they felt as if there was absolutely no meaning behind their struggle for survival. Watching as the prisoners committed suicide due to their loss of hope and meaning to live, Frankl discussed the will to live and how many of the inmates still felt that they had a source of meaning in their lives despite the conditions they were under. In agreement with his words, Frankl (1984) quoted Nietzsche: “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how,” (p. 109). Those individuals who accepted their suffering found meaning in their life and were able to overcome those harsh conditions. In other words, he who has a source of personal meaning can push through and endure all the struggles and suffering in any given situation which Frankl believed encompasses the entire approach of