On page 90 of Man's Search for Meaning, Victor Frankl, who survived harrowing experiences in the Auschwitz and other concentration camps and wrote about them, describes a young woman who knows she is going to die. Instead of being bitter, she is, as Frankl describes her, "grateful" because in her previous life, she took spiritual things for granted. Looking through her window, she sees part of a chestnut tree with two blossoms, and this tree, her only friend, convinces her of the existence of eternal life. Although it seems improbable, Frankl speaks of the possibility of creating "something positive out of camp life" (92). In other words, the way the prisoners thought of their lives affected how they felt, even in a dismal situation. The prisoners who were able to imagine a future fared far better in the camp than those who gave up entirely or who only dwelt on the past. For example, Frankl imagines himself lecturing about his experiences in the camp in the future when he is suffering there.
This story relates to Frankl's theory of logotherapy--or the search for meaning. Frankl believes that humans' search for meaning is the most powerful drive they have. Frankl believed that humans can find meaning even in the most horrific situations, just as the woman in the concentration camp did in his story. Finding meaning is possible through the act of creating something or experiencing something. It can also be sought by taking a spiritual attitude towards suffering, which is unfortunately unavoidable in life.
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