Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl suffered the misery, deprivation and indignity of a German concentration camp during the Second World War. After gaining his freedom, he wrote ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ about his experiences and the new school of thought and therapy – logotherapy – which emerged from the insights gained during his imprisonment. This school of psychotherapy is based on the premise that man has an inner pull to find meaning.
The author makes the case that life is meaningful even under the most tragic circumstances, and that we can choose to live optimally even in the midst of misery – in other words, we all have the potential to make the best out of the worst of situations.