Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor E. Frankl

PREFACE TO THE 1984 EDITION("Logotherapy in a Nutshell") boils down, as it were,to the lesson one may distill from the first part, theautobiographical account ("Experiences in a ConcentrationCamp"), whereas Part One serves as the existentialvalidation of my theories. Thus, both partsmutually support their credibility.I had none of this in mind when I wrote the book in1945. And I did so within nine successive days andwith the firm determination that the book would bepublished anonymously. In fact, the first printing ofthe original German version does not show my nameon the cover, though at the last moment, just beforethe book's initial publication, I did finally give in to myfriends who had urged me to let it be published withmy name at least on the title page. At first, however, ithad been written with the absolute conviction that, asan anonymous opus, it could never earn its authorliterary fame. I had wanted simply to convey to thereader by way of a concrete example that life holds apotential meaning under any conditions, even the mostmiserable ones. And I thought that if the point weredemonstrated in a situation as extreme as that in aconcentration camp, my book might gain a hearing. Itherefore felt responsible for writing down what I hadgone through, for I thought it might be helpful topeople who are prone to despair.And so it is both strange and remarkable to methat - among some dozens of books I have authored -precisely this one, which I had intended to be publishedanonymously so that it could never build up anyreputation on the part of the author, did become asuccess. Again and again I therefore admonish mystudents both in Europe and in America: "Don't aim16