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Self-transcendence of human existence
The super-meaning is the broader meaning to life, death, and suffering that man cannot understand. Frankl says that people must have faith that the “whys” in life have an answer, without being able to access that answer for themselves. For Frankl, the super-meaning has a religious dimension, but he does not feel that everyone must be religious.
Super-meaning Quotes in Man’s Search for Meaning
The Man’s Search for Meaning quotes below are all either spoken by Super-meaning or refer to Super-meaning. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Experiences in a Concentration Camp
Quotes
Thus it is impossible to define the meaning of life in a general way. Questions about the meaning of life can never be answered by sweeping statements. “Life” does not mean something vague, but something very real and concrete, just as life’s tasks are also real and concrete. They form man’s destiny, which is different and unique for each individual.
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Super-meaning Term Timeline in Man’s Search for Meaning
The timeline below shows where the term Super-meaning appears in Man’s Search for Meaning. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Logotherapy in a Nutshell: The Super-Meaning
Frankl writes that man cannot access the “super-meaning” of life, or the answer for why man must suffer. Man’s job, Frankl says, is...
(full context)
Frankl encourages logotherapists not to give the super-meaning a more specific name like God, but if they have patients who are religious, they...
(full context)
