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Quote by Viktor E. Frankl

Work

Man's Search for Meaning

This seminal work delves into the author's experiences as a psychiatrist and prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, offering insights into the human capacity for finding meaning and hope amidst extreme suffering. more

Author

Viktor E. Frankl
Viktor E. Frankl

Viktor E. Frankl was a renowned neurologist and psychologist, born on March 26, 1905, and died on September 2, 1997. He was one of the founders of existential psychology and is known for his experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his book 'Man's Search for Meaning'. more

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“Well, without at least some optimism writing anything is impossible -- you have to believe that someone out there will be reading what you write. Even more so for science fiction for me -- we're thinking and writing about the future, so to a greater or lesser extent we're thinking that there will be a future to participate in, and that people will be there to tell us what we got right and what we got wrong. Even dystopian literature often trades in hope of some form -- people fighting against the dystopia, for example. There will always be specific counter-examples, but I think generally science fiction has optimism baked in. We believe in the future, even if there's a long slog between where we are now and where we will go.”

“Agathisim is the doctrine that all things tend towards ultimate good, as distinguished from optimism, which holds that all things are now for the best. An agathist accepts that evil and misfortune will ultimately happen, but that the eventual outcome leads towards the good. A setback never deters an agathist. We must not allow failure to act to arrest, diminished, or impoverish personal development and growth. We must be loyal to other people as well as be equally devoted to achieving our personal goals while adhering to our principles. If we betray ourselves at the bidding of other people, we forfeit everything that will ever matter.”