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
Happiness cannot be attained by wanting to be happy - it must come as the unintended consequence of working for a goal greater than oneself.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True happiness arises not from the desire for happiness itself, but from pursuing meaningful goals.
This quote by Viktor E. Frankl emphasizes that genuine happiness is a byproduct of striving for something larger than oneself, rather than directly chasing happiness as an end goal. It suggests that fulfillment and joy stem from commitment and dedication to meaningful pursuits, which ultimately enrich our lives.
Themes
HappinessGoalsMeaningPurposeFulfillment
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared during a motivational speech to inspire others to pursue meaningful goals.
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.
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.
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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.
Viktor E. FranklRead
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.
Viktor E. FranklRead
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