Man's Search For Meaning

By Viktor Frankl

Categories: History, Religion & Spirituality

Before the war, Viktor Frankl was a respected psychiatrist in Vienna. In Auschwitz, he watched how he and his fellow prisoners endured, and noticed that the men who comforted others and gave away their last piece of bread often survived the longest. From that experience comes his central idea: everything can be taken from us except the freedom to choose our attitude. Frankl argues that our deepest drive is the search for meaning, and shows how purpose can carry a person through the worst suffering.

Recommended by 26 people

• Sam Altman
• Phil Jackson: “'Man's Search For Meaning' was an important book for me, but I never passed it out to any players.”
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• Elon Musk: “That’s a great book”
• Ryan Holiday
• Jimmy Fallon: “This is a book I try to read every couple of years. It’s one of the most inspirational books ever written. What is the meaning of life? What do you have when you think you have nothing? Amazing and heartbreaking stories. This is a book that should be in everyone’s library.”
• Tom Bilyeu: “Love that book. Life changing.”
• Anderson Cooper: “This is a book I reread a lot . . . it gives me hope . . . it gives me a sense of strength.”
• Shane Parrish: “1. Man’s Search For Meaning A gift from a friend. As hard as you think your life is, it pales in comparison to Auschwitz. I took two big things away from this book: (1) the ultimate freedom is the ability to choose your attitude in the face of any circumstance and (2) the more you target success, the more you will miss it.”
• David Heinemeier Hansson: “It's exceedingly well written, and wonderfully short... it's probably the best book on the philosophy of life that I've read outside of the Stoic classics. Very highly recommended.”
• Simon Sinek: “This is essential reading for anyone interested in the topic of purpose... his lessons are universally applicable to all our lives.”
• Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: “A great read for today: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl”
• Tony Robbins: “Viktor Frankl’s book, MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING, provides the most compelling and triumphant account I have ever read of humanity’s ability to persevere through the unimaginable.”