This will be my last post on this wonderful book, before we pick a new book. I was struck while reading this book by the depth of Victor Frankl‘s conclusions on suffering. He really emphasized that a person’s attitude in the face of suffering is as important to meaning in life as any other act or experience.
I link this to bullying which is a tremendous cause of suffering for the vulnerable in our society. This topic has been even more relevant since the suicide of Amanda Todd.
It made me reflect on Dr. Frankl’s descriptions of his life in the Nazi concentration camps and the horrific things he and others endured.
He was still able to keep his compassion and respect for the good in people despite this.
Here are some final quotes from this book:
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.
Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.
I do not forget any good deed done to me & I do not carry a grudge for a bad one.
If there is meaning in life at all, then there must be meaning in suffering.
Victor Frankl