I conclude my reflections on Victor Frankl’s work Man’s Search for Meaning, with Frankl’s affirmation of the human freedom to determine what he/she becomes as Frankl says, “within the limits of his/her endowment and environment.” A human being is not one thing among others; things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining. . . . In concentration camps, for example, in this living laboratory, and on this testing ground, we watched and witnessed some of our comrades behave like swine, while others behaved like saints. Man has both potentialities within himself; which one is actualized depends on decisions, but not on conditions. P. 155
NOTE: Hopefully we will never experience the living hell of a concentration camp as Frankl and millions of others have. We, however, are confronted each moment with choices on how to live our lives. Will we be faithful to our commitment to a partner? Will we honor and love our parents as they age? Will we support fairness and justice for all people? What kind of neighbor am I; do help my neighbors when they need help? These are a few examples of the choices that we have to make. How we make our choices determines the kind of man or woman we want to become.