How Do I Find My Purpose? - The Life & Lessons of Viktor Frankl

personal995
Jan 17
5 min read

Updated: Apr 2

Viktor Frankl lived a life that was both profoundly tragic and deeply illuminating—an experience you would never wish upon anyone. Yet, from his suffering emerged extraordinary insights that we are fortunate to have today. His work continues to guide and inspire us, offering a timeless path to finding meaning and purpose in our own lives.

"What is to give light must endure burning."

Viktor Frankl

Viktor Frankl earned his doctorate in medicine at just 25, opened his own neurology and psychiatry practice by 32, and married the love of his life at 35. His future was full of promise. But in 1942, everything changed. Frankl, along with his wife, father, mother, and brother, was arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps.

This book does not claim to be an account of facts and events but of personal experiences, experiences which millions of prisoners have suffered time and again. It is the inside story of a concentration camp, told by one of it's survivors. The tale is not concerned with the great horrors, which have already been described often enough (though less often believed), but with the multitude of small torments. In other words, it will try to answer this question: how was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner? Viktor Frankl

The above is the opening paragraph of Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning. It is haunting and anxiety inducing to read. It also provides a glimpse at how Frankl used his mindset to turn these horrors into meaning, purpose and ultimately, work to serve the lives of others.

In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice. It is one of the basic tenets of logotherapy that man’s main concern is not to gain pleasure or to avoid pain but rather to see a meaning in his life. That is why man is even ready to suffer, on the condition, to be sure, that his suffering has a meaning. Viktor Frankl

Without revealing too much of the storyline, Man’s Search for Meaning is a profoundly moving and challenging read. Its heartbreaking account of suffering invokes a depth of sadness that only true stories can. Yet, it is a book everyone should experience. Frankl’s insights remind us of the potential darkness within human nature—a truth we forget at our peril. At the same time, his message of hope and the resilience of the human spirit is equally essential, offering a beacon of light in the darkest times.

Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom; which determined whether or not you would become the plaything of circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity to become molded into the form of the typical inmate. Viktor Frankl

Most of us do not have Viktor Frankl's training as a neurologist / psychiatrist, or thankfully, his experiences in and observations from the concentration camps. To be able to learn from him then, is a gift which should not be taken for granted.

Key takeaways from the life and lessons of Viktor Frankl to assist with finding meaning and purpose.

1. Take Responsibility for Your Life

Frankl emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for your choices and actions. Reflect on what life is asking of you, rather than focusing on what you expect from life.

Man's search for meaning is the primary motivation in his life and not a 'secondary rationalization' of instinctual drives. This meaning is unique and specific in that it must and can be fulfilled by him alone; only then does it achieve a significance which will satisfy his own will to meaning. Viktor Frankl

Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual. Viktor Frankl

2. Find Meaning in the Present Moment

Frankl advocates for discovering meaning in daily life, as meaning is dynamic and context-dependent. Look for meaning in the tasks, relationships, and opportunities presented to you each day.

For the meaning of life differs from man to man, from day to day and from hour to hour. What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment. To put the question in general terms would be comparable to the question posed to a chess champion: 'Tell me, Master, what is the best move in the world?' There is simply no such thing as the best or even a good move apart from a particular situation in a game and the particular personality of one's opponent. The same holds for human existence. One should not search for an abstract meaning to life. Everyone has his own vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfilment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone's task is as unique as his specific opportunity to implement it. Viktor Frankl

3. Transform Suffering Into Growth

Frankl believed that even suffering can have meaning if we face it with dignity and use it to grow. When confronted with unavoidable suffering, ask how you can use it to grow, help others, or contribute to a cause greater than yourself.

If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering. Suffering is an ineradicable part of life, even as fate and death. Viktor Frankl

4. Seek Meaning Through Action, Beauty / Love, and Resilience

Frankl identifies three primary ways to discover meaning: through meaningful work, beautiful experiences / loving relationships, and how you face suffering. Engage fully in creative work, build deep connections, and find dignity even in difficult circumstances.

According to logotherapy, we can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by creating a work or doing a deed; (2) by experiencing something or encountering someone (such as goodness, truth and beauty); and (3) by the attitude we take toward unavoidable suffering. Viktor Frankl

5. Focus Beyond Yourself

Frankl emphasizes that purpose often lies outside the self, in serving others or committing to something greater. Dedicate yourself to a cause or to the well-being of others, rather than obsessing over personal happiness.

The more one forgets himself—by giving himself to a cause to serve or another person to love—the more human he is and the more he actualizes himself. Viktor Frankl

To summarise: Live meaningfully, take responsibility for your choices, find meaning in the present, and focus on serving something greater than yourself. Frankl's philosophy empowers us to live with purpose, even amid suffering and uncertainty.

All the best. Take care of yourself and each other.