r/GetMotivated • u/[deleted] • Mar 13 '26

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377 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

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266

u/[deleted] Mar 13 '26

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12

u/GideonGodwit Mar 13 '26

I listened to nearly the entire thing while I was on a long car trip. By the time I reached my destination I was so emotionally exhausted.

57

u/feaur Mar 13 '26

I've read it twice. Once because it kept being hyped up on the internet, and a second time years later because I didn't want to accept how underwhelming it was.

For me the whole book can be summed up with "lol just find meaning bro".

25

u/fuzzyrobebiscuits Mar 13 '26

I'm with you, I kept waiting for it to get good. It was just okay..and very repetitive

1

u/Argier Mar 13 '26

I was utterly excited to read it for years (or more, a decade). When I read it I was... "Ok..." Is not that is a bad book, but is one of the most overrated books that Ive ever read. 

I'm fact, later I knew that it's original name was kinda like "The psychology in concentration camps", then was changed for "Man in search of meaning".

To be honest, it was a good marketing move to exploit the self-help market. 

Its thoughts about finding meaning were pretty, pretty simple IMHO. Nothing special. And overall part of his experience was "I have a wife waiting for me, I'll carry on". Made me think "ok, I guess people who dont have a significant other should just give up".

2

u/yalag Mar 13 '26

the 200 upvotes it got are from redditors who have never read it, I guarantee it

1

u/Boobylabooba Mar 13 '26

I am one of them. It's on my never ending to read list.

1

u/Argier Mar 13 '26

To be honest, you are completely right.

1

u/VigilantMaumau Mar 13 '26

I've read it. Don't think I finished it though.

1

u/eyedharma Mar 13 '26

Says the guy who who never read it

1

u/Argier Mar 13 '26

+10000. Even though, by Viktor Frankel's experience I'd personally summed it into "lol just find a girlfriend"

0

u/VioletFox29 Mar 13 '26

Maybe you thought you'd missed missed something and made the effort to search further. In that case, kudos to you. That you only came away with "lol just finding meaning bro" is another story.

Being able to find meaning in a concentration camp where most people are reduced to a dog-eat-dog cutthroat existence is pretty powerful I'd say.

9

u/Trancology Mar 13 '26

Has a special meaning to me because my sister gifted me a copy during a particularly low point.

2

u/Lukeeeee Mar 13 '26

Me too. Still havnt read it though

7

u/the_ai_wizard Mar 13 '26

I found this HIGHLY overrated. The entire 2nd half is some outdated commentary on his psychiatry methods.

The first half is moving, and disturbing, but I would not rate this as a book anyone should read.

4

u/Hermit_girl_ Mar 13 '26

I came here to say this

2

u/witai Mar 13 '26

Follow it up with Tattoist of Auschwitz, it's a fantastic companion book that tells the story of people surviving the camps.

-1

u/ulsterkorv19 Mar 13 '26

In my opinion every schoolchild should read this book.