The Quest to Find Meaning
Whether through the actions of everyday people or through the arduous journeys made by some of the greatest thinkers of our time, everyone discovers what their personal meaning of life is and pursues it to the best of their ability. After surviving the holocaust, Viktor Frankl pursued his studies and mastery of the human condition through research and observation. Throughout his life, he gave hundreds of speeches to college students and distinguished members around the world. Another individual who aspired to be an influential person by urging equal rights for men and women and all races through her position in the White House was Eleanor Roosevelt. A third distinguished person who has done extensive study and work…show more content… Viktor E. Frankl, died in 1997 leaving a lasting legacy of perseverance and understanding of the personal battles one goes through searching for the meaning of life. In his book, Man’s Search For Meaning, which, according to a survey conducted by the Library of Congress, belongs to a list of "the ten most influential books in the United States”, Frankl describes his horrendous experiences in the concentration camp and how he discovered his meaning in life. The concentration camps were where he learned some of his most valuable lessons and truly realized everyones unique purposes in life. In this book he said, “One should not search for an abstract meaning of life. Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete assignment which demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated. Thus, everyone’s task is as unique as is his specific opportunity to implement it” (Frankl 156). This quote describes how everyone should strive to be unique in their own way and how, because of this uniqueness, everyone will have different goals and vocations in life that they see as valuable. In a broader sense, he is saying that the meaning of life for each person is different and that there are no specific rules or necessities for someones goals in life. Frankl places the notion of everyday choice at the center of the human experience, which is why everyone is…show more content… Although Campbell was studying the meaning of life through many different cultures, in the end, he still came up with many similar ideas to Frankl; everyones meaning is different and that everyone must create their own meaning in life. Just as Campbell stated that ones meaning in life is whatever they attribute to it, Frankl urged the idea that everyone must carry out and fulfill their vocations in life to make any meaning out of it. Despite the fact that Campbell had countless more opportunities than Frankl had, to me, both of these intellectuals had a particularly similar outlook in life. Campbell seemed like a well educated man who made a lasting impression on the world and whose legacy will continue to inspire the society we live in as well as my personal life.
The long and tedious work of Viktor Frankl, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Joseph Campbell has furthered the everlasting quest for the meaning of life. Whether through the horrid treatment in concentration camps, the powerful life of the First Lady, or the world wide travels of a young mythologist, the ideas of self influence on ones meaning of life and overall necessity of personal goals is discoverable and will remain relevant. Just like no snowflake is the same, no ones meaning in life will be the same. People must learn to accept their uniqueness and spend time trying to develop their personal meaning and goals in
