03/31/2026
Finding Meaning In Tough Times
(A Lesson on Suffering from Viktor Frankl)
By Marc Gilson
"Decisions, not conditions, determine who we are."
- Viktor Frankl
On my first day of Philosophy 101, the instructor dropped his briefcase in his chair, sat on the edge of his desk, crossed his arms, and stared at us. Once the room quieted down he said:
"Why are you here?"
A few people chuckled. Someone behind me finally answered, "Well this is philosophy 101, right? So I guess we're here to learn some philosophy."
The instructor smiled. "Yes. That's exactly why I am asking you: Why are you here?"
This, of course, is the quintessential philosophical question: Why are we here? What's the point? What's the meaning of life?
Perhaps no one explored this question better - or lived a more powerful answer - than Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl.
Viktor Frankl and the Power of Meaning
In 1942, Frankl and his family were sent to a N**i concentration camp. Over the next three years, he would endure unimaginable hardships: forced labor, bitter cold, near starvation, and the deaths of most of his family members including his beloved wife, Tilly.
During this brutal ordeal, Frankl - ever the student of life - observed something remarkable about survival. Many starved to death. Others died in the harsh winter weather. And some perished in gas chambers.
But it wasn't always the sick or elderly who died quickly, nor the strongest who survived. Sometimes it was the most physically fit who were overcome the quickest.
Frankl noticed that resilience wasn't solely a matter of physical toughness. Something else seemed to be helping some survive while others succumbed.
What was it?
He determined that those who withstood the misery of the camps seemed to have an awareness of meaning.
They were able to appreciate what are sometimes called "numinous" experiences - moments of connection with something greater than themselves and their circumstances.
Frankl recalled a moment when a fellow laborer stopped to point out the beauty of the bright winter sun shining through snow-blanketed trees outside the camp. This provided one of those all-important numinous moments that, Frankl came to believe, were crucial to survival.
Those who endured appeared to possess an unshakable belief that regardless of their suffering, there remained a meaning behind it all. Not necessarily a reason, mind you, but meaning. And that sense of meaning was like a life preserver.
Finally, the war ended. Frankl survived and went on to write one of the most influential books in psychiatry and philosophy: Man's Search for Meaning.
In it, he argues that meaning is so crucial to the human experience that without it, your life may feel empty, ungrounded, perhaps even pointless. You may be fit, wealthy, and well-educated. But without meaning, suffering will be more acute, and even successes will feel less than rewarding.
Frankl said, "Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by the lack of meaning and purpose."
So How Do We Find This Meaning?
The question "What is the meaning of life?" has been asked millions of times, but no one's managed to come up with a universally accepted answer.
Well, as we're about to see, once we perfect our ability to detect meaning in our lives, this question becomes answerable.
Here are three ways to discover meaning - ways that worked for a man who lost almost everything and endured unimaginable hardships. They should work for us too.
1. Work & People
Frankl said that meaning can be found in two specific areas: the work we do and the people we love.
Work can mean your job, but it can also be a hobby or activity that infuses your life with a sense of purpose. When you earn meaning through your work - not just money - you've really struck gold.
As for the people we love, there can be no question that these relationships are a rich source of meaning. Relationships not only provide us with love and support, but they also allow us to see the world through the eyes of others, expanding our awareness in profound ways.
2. Choose Meaning (Don't Wait For It)
Here's what Frankl demonstrated that might surprise you: meaning is not something external we locate and grab ahold of, but rather a choice that allows us to experience it.
This is important because it reminds us that we are the meaning-makers in our lives.
Don't wait for meaning to come knocking on your door. Don't expect another person, experience, or thing to provide it. Opportunities to experience meaning are all around you, all the time.
If we can only remember one lesson from Viktor Frankl, let us remember this:
Something becomes meaningful to you when you decide that it is.
Meaning is a matter of choice.
3. Look for the Numinous
A numinous experience is one that inspires a sense of reverence or awe. Such experiences are commonly described in religious contexts - the sense of wonder upon walking into a magnificent cathedral, or the profound presence felt during prayer.
But just as we must choose meaning rather than waiting around for it to show up, so too can we experience the numinous if we simply expand our awareness to include room for it.
The world can be a tough, cynical place. But it's also filled with wonders.
British psychologist David Fontana said, "Even the most mundane objects are things of wonder, if we stop to look at them, and the fact that we are alive is the biggest wonder of all."
This act of observation, born of intentionally applied awareness, opens the doors to the numinous and grants us entrance into the very heart of meaning.
Own Your Answer to the Meaning of Life
Let us hope that the atrocities of the Holocaust are never, ever repeated. But let's also remember Viktor Frankl, who left us a blueprint for how to experience meaning, whether we are suffering pain and loss, or simply struggling to get through a tough day at work.
So the next time you hear the question, "What is the meaning of life?" consider it an invitation to choose to find meaning within the very question, within this very moment, and throughout your daily life.
