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In the postscript, Frankl considers what he calls a tragic triad: pain, guilt, and death. How, he asks, should a person respond to each of these, to make something positive out of them? Frankl urges the reader to see each apparent tragedy as an opportunity. Pain and suffering may tempt one toward depression, aggression, or addiction, but it can instead be seen as an invitation to be brave and to overcome obstacles. Frankl offers as an example, a young American man rendered quadriplegic by a diving accident, who still leads a full life, by the motto: “I broke my neck, it didn’t break me.” Guilt should not be explained away, but rather used as motivation to do better. Criminals serving time for their misdeeds do not want others to make excuses for them, Frankl claims. They want to take ownership of their guilt and thereby make a change in their lives. Death means there is no more future to look forward to, no more potential to be realized, but it also means a life full of actualized potential. This is secure and cannot be taken away. At the end of life, a person can take comfort looking back on that which is unalterably, and therefore safely, in the past.

Read about how one is always free to choose how to respond to one’s circumstances (Main Idea #2).

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