Viktor Frankl’s Sources of the Meaning of Life

(Reflection Paper)

Who is Viktor Frankl? What are the sources of the meaning of life he proposed? Viktor

Frankl is a renowned psychiatrist and a survivor of the holocaust, which was a genocide of the

Jews in World War II. He witnessed and experienced the Nazi death camps that tortured and

locked all of the Jews that had been captured. Frankl then concluded that those people who

have high hopes and faith that they will survive and see their loved ones tend to survive all the

harsh treatment more than those who have lost all hope. Viktor Frankl then theorized that there

are three sources of meaning in life.

According to Frankl, work or purpose is one of the driving forces that makes individuals

move forward in life. Having a life goal, a bucket list, an enjoyable work profession, or

anything that makes individuals think that it has a meaning in their lives and that they have the

will to pursue and achieve it. I find this very reasonable meaning to not lose hope in life for the

reason that any kind of work an individual thinks can be a driving force to make further

progress in life and to not bore ourselves in this world. I further agree that having goals makes

individuals grow physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Another source of the meaning of life that Frankl proposed is love and relationships.

He thought of this more or less because of the Nazi death camp, where he witnessed that some

of the survivors hold onto hope and faith that they will survive for the reason that their loved

ones are waiting for them. In my opinion, this is relatable because I think of my family and

loved ones when I am having a rough time in life, making them the source of inspiration to

never give up and have the faith and courage that I will succeed. Having deep connections,
love, and relationships with others makes some individuals find meaning in their lives and give

everything to their loved ones.

I have found this last one intriguing because I never realized that you can find hope in

this kind of source that gives meaning to life. This is suffering and challenges. Frankl proposed

this in my opinion because of his thoughts during his hardships in the Nazi death camp, where

he experienced suffering that he had never encountered in the past. Also, by observing the other

prisoners and how they find meaning in why this is happening to them, and because of this,

they can find the will to survive. This made me realize that during hardships in life, always find

the light and think of why this particular situation is happening to me.

In conclusion, I learned that Viktor Frankl's philosophy is all about how an individual

can find meaning in life. It gave insights on how to find yourself, hope, faith, and courage to

have the will to continue and survive the harsh world that we were placed in. It made me realize

the fact that we can transform these sufferings that come in our lives into achievements and

lessons that we can apply in the future.