Quotes from Viktor E. Frankl

Love is as primary a phenomenon as sex. Normally, sex is a mode of expression for love. Sex is justified, even sanctified, as soon as, but only as long as, it is a vehicle of love.

How can we dare to predict the behavior of man? We may predict the movements of a machine, of an automaton; more than this, we may even try to predict the mechanisms of dynamisms of the human psyche as well. But man is more than psyche.

Para hacerse imitable no se precisa esconder algún suceso oscuro o denigrante, pero sí resulta necesario percibir el ángulo frágil de su entereza...

He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how," could be the guiding motto for all psychotherapeutic and psychohygienic efforts regarding prisoners.

Live as if you living for the second time and had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now.

Suddenly I drew back the hand which was ready to shake him, frightened at the thing I was about to do. At that moment I became intensely conscious of the fact that no dream, no matter how horrible, could be as bad as the reality of the camp which surrounded us, and to which I was about to recall him.

I recommend that the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast.

Live as if you are living for the second time and had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now.

Un hombre que se vuelve consciente de su responsabilidad ante quien lo aguarda con todo su corazón, o ante una obra por terminar, nunca será capaz de tirar su vida por la borda. Conoce el porqué de su existencia y podrá soportar casi cualquier cómo.

Lo expulsé del organismo con mis lágrimas!».

Affectus, qui passio est, desinit esse passio simulatque eius claram et distinctam formamus ideam.

To attempt a methodical presentation of the subject is very difficult, as psychology requires a certain scientific detachment. But does a man who makes his observations while he himself is a prisoner possess the necessary detachment? Such detachment is granted to the outsider, but he is too far removed to make any statements of real value.

any attempt to restore a man's inner strength in the camp had first to succeed in showing him some future goal. Nietzsche's words, "He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how," could be the guiding motto for all psychotherapeutic and psychohygienic efforts regarding prisoners.

Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness.

in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone. Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him—mentally and spiritually.

know that without the suffering, the growth that I have achieved would have been impossible." Is

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

from Nietzsche: "Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker." (That which does not kill me, makes me stronger.)

The Meaning of Suffering We must never forget that we may also find meaning in life even when confronted with a hopeless situation, when facing a fate that cannot be changed. For what then matters is to bear witness to the uniquely human potential at its best, which is to transform a personal tragedy into a triumph, to turn one's predicament into a human achievement.

suffering and to consider it ennobling rather than degrading" so that "he is not only unhappy, but also ashamed of being unhappy."5

Ada cukup banyak penderitaan yang harus kita jalani. Karenanya, kita perlu menghadapi seluruh penderitaan kita, dan berusaha meminimalkan perasaan lemah dan takut. Namun, kita juga tidak perlu malu untuk menangis, karena air mata merupakan saksi dari keberanian manusia yang paling besar, yakni keberanian untuk menderita.

Mysterium iniquitatis, meaning, as I see it, that a crime in the final analysis remains inexplicable inasmuch as it cannot be fully traced back to biological, psychological and/or sociological factors. Totally explaining one's crime would be tantamount to explaining away his or her guilt and to seeing in him or her not a free and responsible human being but a machine to be repaired.

Com o que é que os presos sonhavam com maior frequência? Com pão, bolos, cigarros e belos banhos quentes. A falta de satisfação destes desejos simples levava à procura de uma satisfação derivada em sonhos. Se estes sonhos traziam algum alívio é já outra questão; o sonhador tinha de acordar deles para a realidade da vida no campo e para o terrível contraste entre isso e as ilusões do seu sonho.

our sacrifice did have a meaning.