It’s not very often that you read a book that gives you a new perspective on life. The vast majority of books either fall flat, or fail to leave any lasting impression at all.
Man’s Search For Meaning is often recommended as a must-read for anyone interested in personal development. Many even rave about how much it has changed their life.
I’ve got to say, after going through the book, I’ve found that it really deserves its reputation. Even now — months after I’ve read it, I still find myself thinking about the message the book conveys.
Life as a Concentration Camp Prisoner
In brief, the book covers the experiences that the author, a neurologist and psychiatrist, went through as a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. He observes and makes notes, in an objective and matter-of-fact manner, about how himself and other prisoners cope with the harsh reality of life in a death camp.
As I expected, the chapters detailing the experiences of the prisoners are nothing short of harrowing and haunting. They are randomly beaten, left to starve, live in absolutely squalid conditions, suffer debilitating diseases while receiving zero treatment, and sometimes are sent to a gas chamber to die. It’s really among the worst you can expect from humanity.
To Be Alive Is To Hope
The most important part of the book is when the author talks about how he finds hope and meaning amid all this senseless suffering, never knowing when his life will abruptly end.
The answer is actually very simple: it’s how you look at things — your attitude. You might be depraved of all your choices and are subjected to a depraving life, but you will always have one remaining freedom: the freedom to choose your attitude in any set of circumstances.
This quote is not from the book, but it captures the sentiment very well: Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.
The author notes that of those prisoners who die, other than from causes like sickness or murder, many die from losing hope. It is understandable; when the future looks pitch dark and life is made up of nothing but despair, the body no longer wishes to survive. It kind of just… shuts down, I guess? I don’t know the exact physiological mechanism here, but an overwhelming sense of pessimism and despair can definitely weaken the body’s immune system and eventually results in death.
So that’s it — giving up hope can literally kill. That’s a critical lesson to always keep in mind. Whatever your hope is — to see your loved one again, to be physically active, to see nature, to gain position in society, to have wealth — never ever lose that beacon of light no matter how dark it gets.
Is There Meaning in This Suffering?
There are so many times the author seemingly asks himself these questions: Why? Why am I living in this hell? What is the meaning to all of this? Does life even have a meaning at all? Why should I even carry on?
He quotes this by Dostoevski (the legendary Russian novelist):
There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings.
He thinks of suffering as a test that life gives him, to see if he is worthy of life’s expectations. Here comes the most powerful quote, the key lesson that I’ve drawn from the book:
It’s not what you expect of life, but what life expects of you. Think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life — daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. 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.
It is stupid and useless to be constantly whining about the unfairness and harshness of life. Instead, what we should be thinking of life is a series of tests. In every circumstance you find yourself, think of there to be a set of scrutinising eyes from life, and make sure life is satisfied with your action and conduct.
I’ve been thinking about this idea a lot. I must not ask for life to hand me shit. Instead, before I do something, I must always think to myself: Is this what life expects of me? And the answer will automatically become clear.
The Stoic Way
When I first read this book, it felt really dry and dragged on. There is no story line, no drama, no characters. It even felt mechanical and cold at times, since the author recounts his experiences and his observations in a very matter-of-fact and emotionless way.
Having read through the book, it becomes clear to me that the book is not engrossing in a traditional sense, but the author’s cold and objective tone is for a reason. You have to look at your circumstances in an objective manner. Look at what’s happening to you, look at your emotions and your suffering, and think of the right attitude and the right course of action.
This book, to me, is the ultimate guide to stoicism. I will be re-reading it from time to time as a humbling reminder of how to conduct my own life.