SUCCESS Materials – English

Meaning of Life – Theoretical Background – Introduction

Meaning (Meaning of Life)

The notion of “meaning of life” has been an age-long concern to many theoreticians, who proposed various definitions. The initial approach for the conception of “meaning of life” comes from the existential psychological theories and more specifically from Victor Frankl (1984). Frankl (1992) demonstrated the importance of a meaning-driven human existence and defined the “meaning” as the ultimate and fundamental motivation of human behavior.

Frankl’s approach focuses on the human spirit as well as on the continuous search of humans for a meaning of life (Frankl,1984; Kleftaras & Psarra, 2013). Main objectives of this approach are: (a) to facilitate the most important duty of every person pertaining to the pursuit of a meaningful life and (b) to help the individuals to live a life with meaning and responsibility, irrespective of their living conditions (Frankl, 1967).