What Viktor Frankl Taught Us About Finding Meaning in Suffering

Oct 29, 2025

Dive into the transformative insights of Viktor Frankl, a Holocaust survivor who teaches us about finding meaning in suffering. Discover the power of choosing your attitude and how it shapes your response to life’s challenges. Explore how having a sense of purpose can aid survival, especially in extreme circumstances. Frankl's views on motivation emphasize that meaning, not just pleasure, drives human actions. This discussion inspires listeners to reframe their struggles and take meaningful action in their lives.

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INSIGHT

Freedom To Choose Your Attitude

Viktor Frankl discovered in concentration camps that one freedom always remains: the freedom to choose your attitude.
This internal choice persists even when external freedoms are stripped away.

ANECDOTE

Reading Frankl During Injury

Britain Covey first read Frankl's book in college after tearing his ACL and sitting out a season.
He realized his pain was minor compared to the prisoners' suffering and felt inspired to change his perspective.

INSIGHT

The Gap Between Stimulus And Response

Between stimulus and response there is a gap where we exercise freedom and grow.
Expanding that gap by choosing responses increases control over attitude and life.

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In this episode of Paradigm Shifting Books, Stephen and Britain Covey dive into the profound teachings of Viktor Frankl, the legendary Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor. This episode marks the first in the Legendary Series, where the two highlight timeless authors whose ideas have had a lasting impact. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning serves as the foundation for a deep exploration of how suffering can be endured when individuals find meaning in it.

Frankl’s insights are especially relevant in today’s world, as they demonstrate that even in the darkest circumstances, the human spirit has the power to choose its response. He shows that purpose can provide a lifeline through suffering. Whether navigating personal challenges or seeking deeper fulfillment, Frankl’s wisdom offers transformative guidance.

This episode explores two of the most impactful paradigms from Frankl’s work, examining the power of personal freedom in choosing one’s response and the essential role that meaning plays in survival.

What We Discuss

[00:00] – Introduction to the Legendary Series
[02:34] – Who is Viktor Frankl?
[03:24] – The Freedom to Choose Your Attitude
[06:42] – The Power of the Gap Between Stimulus and Response
[13:10] – Finding Meaning in Suffering
[15:04] – The Importance of Action

Notable Quotes

[05:08] " Everything can be taken 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." – Viktor Frankl
[07:44] "The most beautiful thing about the human condition is that there’s a space in between stimulus and response. In that gap lies our freedom and our growth." – Britain Covey
[17:19] ”This book is a way that can help you realize that there is a meaning, there is a purpose for you in this life. There is something unique for you that only you can do.” – Stephen H. Covey

Resources

Paradigm Shifting Books

Book

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

Britain Covey

Stephen H. Covey