What is to give light must endure burning.
¶ (1963)
Quotations by ...
Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) German-American psychologist, writer
Ultimately, man should not ask what the meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each man is questioned by life; and he can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can only respond by being responsible.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answer to its problems and to fulfill the tasks which it constantly sets for each individual.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
Humor is another of the soul's weapons in the fight for self-preservation. It is well known that humor more than anything else in the human makeup, can afford an aloofness and an ability to rise above any situation, even if only for a few seconds.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away 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.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
We had to learn ourselves and furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life but rather what life expected from us! We needed to stop asking about the meaning of life and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life daily and hourly. Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
Since Auschwitz we know what man is capable of. And since Hiroshima we know
what is at stake.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
No man should judge unless he asks himself in absolute honesty whether in a similar situation he might not have done the same.
¶ Man's Search for Meaning (1959)
About WIST
WIST is my collection of quotations I find meaningful, moving, amusing (intended or not), well-phrased, and/or to which I just say I "Wish I'd Said That." But just because I quote it here doesn't mean I actually agree with it. If you have any comments, corrections, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to
Quote Search
Use the Fast Search search box to look for text in quotations or their sources.
To search for an author, go to the All Authors page. Or you can also use the custom Google search below for quotes and authors:
Quotes by Author
WIST Info
Powered by
Movable Type 4.01
Movable Type 4.01