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First place Quote by Viktor Emil Frankl

“Thus it can be seen that mental health is based on a certain degree of tension, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish, or the gap between what one is and what one should become. Such a tension is inherent in the human being and therefore is…” quote by Viktor Emil Frankl
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““Thus it can be seen that mental health is based on a certain degree of tension, the tension between what one has already achieved and what one still ought to accomplish, or the gap between what one is and what one should become. Such a tension is inherent in the human being and therefore is indispensable to mental well-being. We should not, then, be hesitant about challenging man with a potential meaning for him to fulfill. It is only thus that we evoke his will to meaning from its state of latency. I consider it a dangerous misconception of mental hygiene to assume that what man needs in the first place is equilibrium or, as it is called in biology "homeostasis", i.e., a tensionless state. What man actually needs is not a tensionless state but rather the striving and struggling for a worthwhile goal, a freely chosen task. What he needs is not the discharge of tension at any cost but the call of a potential meaning waiting to be fulfilled by him.””

Viktor Emil Frankl

About This Quote

Source Book: Man's Search for Meaning, 1946

Mental well‑being arises from a productive tension between current self and aspirational self, not from a static equilibrium.

In simple terms: Tension drives growth, not calm.

Key Takeaway

Embrace purposeful struggle.

Themes

meaning purpose psychology growth

Mood

reflective motivational

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

  • career development
  • personal goals
  • therapy
  • education
  • creative projects

Key Concepts

Existentialism self‑actualization

Questions to Reflect On

  • What goal ignites your inner tension?
  • How can you turn discomfort into purpose?
A Different Perspective

Assuming equilibrium is healthy can lead to stagnation and loss of motivation.

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