Man’s Last Freedom | Quote by Viktor Frankl

We all know that we cannot control everything that happens to us in our lives. We’ve all wondered, at one point or another, why a certain event happened to us. In tough times, we believe that we do not have any control over the circumstances that we are in. To some extent, that is true. None of us know our destiny.

So how can man be free if he has no control over his own life? While we all desire freedom, what does it mean to be free?

According to the famous psychiatrist and concentration camp survivor, Viktor Frankl, true freedom is the choice of our attitude. The ability to choose. It is our response to the situation that we are experiencing.

If you did not know already, Viktor Frankl is an authority in this area. He pioneered Logotherapy – a new school of psychotherapy. He was also a philosopher, neurologist, author, and Nazi concentration camp survivor. He published 39 books in his lifetime, all with deep insights. This quote was a part of his book, “A Man’s Search for Meaning.”

In his own words, Frankl explains:

“The last of the human freedoms: to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. And there were always choices to make. Every day, every hour, offered the opportunity to make a decision, a decision which determined whether you would or would not submit to those powers which threatened to rob you of your very self, your inner freedom, which determined whether or not you become the plaything to circumstance, renouncing freedom and dignity...”

So, if you are going through a rough patch, know that you still have control over your response to the situation you are in. You are not powerless. You can still be yourself just by changing your reaction.