--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had to learn ourselves and…" description: "\"“We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/viktor-frankl-18420_counseling_we-had-to-learn-ourselves-and-furthermor_2157277.jpg" --- # We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to… ![“We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by…” quote by Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/viktor-frankl-18420_counseling_we-had-to-learn-ourselves-and-furthermor_2157277.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/viktor-frankl-18420_counseling_we-had-to-learn-ourselves-and-furthermor_2157277.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f30/viktor-frankl-18420_counseling_we-had-to-learn-ourselves-and-furthermor_2157277.jpg) > ““We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—hourly and daily. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to find the right answers to its problems and to fulfill the task which it constantly sets for each individual.”” [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life asks us to act responsibly rather than seek abstract purpose; we must respond to its demands with ethical conduct. **In simple terms:** Life is about responsibility and right action, not just meaning. Key Takeaway Focus on responsible action. Themes responsibility meaning action existentialism Mood reflective determined Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - career decisions - personal crises - daily challenges - volunteer work Key Concepts logotherapy ethical conduct purpose Questions to Reflect On - How do you respond to daily demands? - What responsibilities define your purpose? A Different Perspective Abstract meaning can be elusive; action may be constrained by circumstance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Counseling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counseling/) [Existentialism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/existentialism/) [Holocaust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holocaust/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Meaning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning/) [Meaning of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meaning-of-life/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) ## Related quotes > [It did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We needed to stop asking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/it-did-not-really-matter-what-we-expected-from-life-but-rather-what/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life. 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We needed to stop asking about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/it-did-not-really-matter-what-we-expected-from-life-but-rather-what-4/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“Our answer must consist, not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. Life ultimately means taking the responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/our-answer-must-consist-not-in-talk-and-meditation-but-in-right/) [Viktor E. Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“From all this we may learn that there are two races of men in this world, but only these two—the “race” of the decent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-e-frankl/from-all-this-we-may-learn-that-there-are-two-races-of-men-in-this/) [Viktor E. 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Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-e-frankl/) > [“there is such a difference between living the life you are expected to live and living the life you want to live.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/there-is-such-a-difference-between-living-the-life-you-are-expected/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) ## More by Viktor Frankl > [“The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action… There were enough examples, often of a heroic nature, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/viktor-frankl/the-experiences-of-camp-life-show-that-man-does-have-a-choice-of/) [Viktor Frankl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/viktor-frankl/) > [Being tolerant does not mean that I share another ones belief. 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Mansoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-r-mansoor/) [Browse all 165 Counseling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counseling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We had to learn ourselves and, furthermore, we had to teach the despairing men, that it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us. We need to stop asking about the meaning of life, and instead to think of ourselves as those who were being questioned by life—hourly and daily. Our answer must consist not in talk and meditation, but in right action and in right conduct. 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