Q0279
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are…” — Viktor Frankl (Man's Search for Meaning)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Man's Search for Meaning. Theme: self.
English
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Man's Search for Meaning and files it under Logotherapy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl (1905–1997) founded logotherapy, arguing that the search for meaning is a primary human motivation, shaped by his experiences in Nazi concentration camps.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Viktor Frankl. (n.d.). When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0279
MLA: Viktor Frankl. “When we are no longer able to change….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0279.
Chicago: Viktor Frankl. “When we are no longer able to change….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0279.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “When we are no longer able to change…”?
The passage is attributed to Viktor Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning. The archive attributes this English wording to Man's Search for Meaning and files it under Logotherapy. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Viktor Frankl mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.