Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love.
Viktor E. FranklRead
Here lies the chance for a man either to make use of or to forgo the opportunities of attaining the moral values that a difficult situation may afford him. And this decides whether he is worthy of his sufferings or not.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Difficult situations present opportunities for personal growth through moral choices.
This quote by Viktor E. Frankl emphasizes that challenging circumstances provide individuals with the chance to develop and demonstrate their moral values. The way one responds to suffering and adversity ultimately determines the worthiness derived from those experiences, suggesting that personal growth and ethical strength are forged in hardship.
Themes
OpportunitySufferingMoral ValuesGrowthAdversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech discussing resilience in the face of challenges.
More from Viktor E. Frankl
All quotes →The crowning experience of all, for the homecoming man, is the wonderful feeling that, after all he has suffered, there is nothing he need fear anymore—except his God.
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It is the pursuit of happiness that thwarts happiness.
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Logotherapy sees the human patient in all his humanness. I step up to the core of the patient's being. And that is a being in search of meaning, a being that is transcending himself, a being capable of acting in love for others.
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The more one forgives 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.
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Because of social pressure, individualism is rejected by most people in favor of conformity. Thus the individual relies mainly upon the actions of others and neglects the meaning of his own personal life. Hence he sees his own life as meaningless and falls into the “existential vacuum” feeling inner void. Progressive automation causes increasing alcoholism, juvenile delinquency, and suicide.
Viktor E. FranklRead
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