russia has launched a full-scale war in Ukraine! Headway asks you to donate to the charity fund to protect Ukraine and the world’s peace.

Support Ukraine

logo

Headway App

(81,672)

FREE - on the App Store

INSTALL NOW
library / 
book

Summary of Man’s Search for Meaning 

4.7 . 62234 reviews

What’s inside

Get inside the minds of concentration camp prisoners. Unravel their experiences to learn how to endure intense hardships and find meaning in extreme circumstances.

You’ll learn

  • Three ways of finding life’s meaning
  • The depth of self-reflection of Holocaust survivors
  • How to find resilience, hope, and strength
  • About logotherapy

Table of content

  • Summary of Man’s Search for Meaning
  • About the author
  • What is Man’s Search for Meaning about?
  • Who should read Man’s Search for Meaning
  • Topics in Man’s Search for Meaning
first key point

The search for meaning in suffering can result in a stronger mind

Listen the first key point
00:00
00:00
The first stage of imprisonment manifests itself as “shock.” Upon incarceration, many inmates faced the frightening feeling of a new, cruel reality. As was common with inmates at concentration camps, the newbies were forced to cope with being snatched from normalcy and cast into a hell-like existence.
The first few weeks of being an inmate are confusing because you're still struggling to reconcile your past and present realities.
Shock gave way to apathy — a total disregard for emotion. Since the paramount desire of the prisoner was to protect their inner self, apathy was essential to prevent them from bothering about anyone but themselves. The author suggests that as the exterior hardens and dulls, we can feel stronger on the inside.
While the inmates’ bodies deteriorated at the Nazi concentration camps, their minds and souls became stronger, and a connection to the powers beyond the physical world heightened in this condition.
The prisoners coped with their misfortunes by developing vivid dreams of the future, visualizing a cessation of their suffering.

There was no need for trivial desires for anything that didn’t ensure the prisoners' survival. As such, there was a drastic dip in libido among the inmates. They didn’t care for much, except politics and religion, with religion as first and foremost. As it would seem, our spirit grows stronger as we search for meaning during hard times. So, those with a strong spirit could withstand even the worst physical torture.

Viktor Frankl also claimed that love was a key component in the will to survive. Simply knowing that you have someone to live for makes it easier to survive in a tough situation. Suffering may be deathly, but love is as strong as death.

In the face of trials and death, love keeps the mind alive. The memory about a loved one is enough to keep it together.

It was also helping to have memories of the easier times. An incarcerated person’s mind replays fond memories and keeps him in a state of blissful reminisce as a form of relief. It can also become more attuned to art, beauty, and nature or even heighten the prisoner’s sense of humor.

Man's search for meaning chronicles author Viktor Frankl's experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during the second world war. Frankl learned a lot about survival through his experiences and those of the inmates he keenly observed.

You may not ever be in a concentration camp, but suffering is an unavoidable part of life. Frankl took notes of the traits and beliefs that made some inmates survive the harsh conditions others couldn't withstand, and after leaving the camp, he taught others these principles. Now it's your turn to learn them. This summary will show you what to do in an emotional crisis and how to find meaning even in pain.
Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear with almost any 'how.' ~ Viktor E. Frankl
second key point

There is no amount of suffering that we cannot overcome

The theory that man can survive anything was tested and proven in Nazi concentration camps, where people had to endure what can only be described as Hell on Earth. Although all went through the same ordeal, some survived to tell the story.
book
Continue reading with Headway app
Continue reading
Full summary is waiting for you in the app
third key point

We search for meaning all the time, longing for something other than the reality we were born into

fourth key point

Life’s meaning is different for each of us

fifth key point

Logotherapy is a technique in psychotherapy that combats everyday difficulties

sixth key point

Optimism helps us make sense of the senseless sufferings

seventh key point

Conclusion

Buy full book on AmazonContinue the summary

What is Man’s Search for Meaning about?

Who should read Man’s Search for Meaning

book
book

Enjoy summarized nonfiction bestsellers

Grasp the book’s key ideas in less than 15 minutes

Get started

Get new knowledge easily

Let’s check how many titles you can finish in a month with Headway! Tell us how much time you’d like to spend on reading:

2 min/day
5 min/day
10 min/day
15 min/day
20 min/day
30 min/day
45 min/day
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
4 titles/month
10 titles/month
20 titles/month
30 titles/month
40 titles/month
60 titles/month
90 titles/month
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image
image

Join 30+ million learners around the world

60K5 reviews on App Store and Google Play
icon

Everything you need to be motivate, to learn & to self improves is all here. I actually do appreciate the reminders because otherwise this wouldn’t work for me. Thank you

icon

sandypantalones

icon

Headway is the answer! No longer accumulating books I never read. With Headway, I initially chose the areas important to me such as productivity, time management, etc., and each day I'm provided several book summaries from which I devote 20 minutes or more each day reading. All of this on my phone! My life has improved with Headway. Truly my most useful app.

icon

Carol Slinker

icon

An excellent concept, executed well. Headway can help you retain what you've read while introducing you to the essential core of new information. It's an easier way to stay inspired, and to be reminded of the mental tools you've learned

icon

Fuse Henry

icon

In today’s world, we rarely have time. Between our jobs, our families are social obligations, when do we have time to grow and develop ourselves? Headway is an excellent app that gives you that time it gives you those little snippets of information that you need to direct your focus in on your life. Headway gives you a chance to find out the meat of a book that you might want to purchase and read or listen to in-depth without wasting a lot of time trying to figure out is this book for me? I highly recommend the app.

icon

sleepy sprite

icon

The selections are on point and the summaries are excellent! I listen while I walk my pup 🐶 and have in turn, ordered a few selections! REALLY loving the app, it’s layout, daily selections and features!

icon

JuicyBaby328

icon

I've gotten multiple books out of the library with the intent to read them, but always have a hard time finding the time. This app has helped me finally be able to get to them. Summarized, yes, and thank goodness too! Just short enough I can finish one on my way picking kids up from school/practice, or while I'm cooking dinner. I can't wait to listen to them over the summer when we visit the beach!

icon

Jillian Emmert

icon

It amazed me! There is the possibility to highlight the most important points of each book and instantly translate unfamiliar vocabulary. With the ability to review the searched words. It's a great way to learn more about English as well. The price is great.

icon

Fiamma

icon

I’m enjoying what I’m learning on headway.each summary comes with quotes at the end which you can save to help you remember key points. You can listen or read, I’ve found that reading puts me to sleep before I can finish but the listening feature keeps me engaged and I can finish in a brief amount of time if not one session.

icon

Epic waters

icon

The app it’s so easy to use. I use it while driving or cooking and is great. I love the fact that the chapters are short, so you can finish them quickly. Very knowledgeable.

icon

kathytaveras

icon

The best app for self development.It helps to keep pace with your reading and also suggests the kind of reading material you might like.It is fun as you can switch from reading to listening and vice-versa as per your convenience .Just get started and partake of the treasure of knowledge at your fingertips .I feel lucky to have spotted the app.It has helped me become self-disciplined and much better informed.The audio track is excellent.

icon

anita yadav

icon

Exactly what I need! I always have booklist to read, but can't committed enough to finish/start bc of too much pages. Headway is really helpful and concise with their summary. What I love the most is that the essence of the book is well crafted, so I don't only read the key points, but also there's the story and how personality of the author still well shown through the summary. Well done!

icon

Feninda Amalia

icon

This is outstanding best app ever and honestly whoever came up with is my app is an absolute genius kudos my gratitude definitely goes out and I’m only on my first week free trial and I’m certainly going to purchase this app annually. Now that I have it, I can’t even imagine living without it.

icon

Darlin NIKKIDOLL0923