For Frankl, a major part of being human is having the capacity to transform painful experiences into meaningful ones. He himself did just that by using his time in the camps to learn about human behavior so that he could become a better psychotherapist and teacher. Thus, he advocates the perspective of “tragic optimism” that encourages one to view suffering as an opportunity to find meaning in one’s life. Finding Meaning in Extreme Conditions is thus not simply about thriving in spite of suffering; in many instances, the suffering itself becomes the vehicle through which meaning is created.

This idea is intertwined with Frankl’s perspective on mortality, leading Frankl to discuss one of the benefits of growing old. He argues that one can look back on one’s life and see what one has already done to give it meaning. In individual memories and in the more general appreciation of family, community, and society, a person can say that they have fulfilled their destiny. They have done what it was that they were meant to accomplish in this lifetime and can find satisfaction and fulfillment in this.

Frankl also continues to contrast his views and practice with more traditional psychotherapy, especially Freudian methods. In this part of the book, Frankl debunks Sigmund Freud’s hypothesis that, under extreme conditions of deprivation—such as starvation—people would revert to the simple urge to get and consume food. In the camps, Frankl was able to observe what really happens when people are severely tested and found that their true character emerges. Some are decent and courageous and heroic. Some are cowardly and greedy and selfish. They are in no way all the same, but they are also not static, and Frankl urges readers to pattern themselves on the “saints,” closing his argument about The Importance of Moral Choice.