Jasper's concept of limit situations and Frankl´s meaning of suffering

The article shows possible positive impact of difficult life situation on a man. It presents the concept of limit situations of Karl Jaspers who claims that limit situation may lead to self-discovery of an individual, to his authentic existence. Coping strategies which an individual use in everyday life fail in limit situations. A man can not solve the limit situation by trying to change it but the limit situation changes him. The article also discusses Viktor Emanuel Frankl´s view of suffering. According to Frankl, an individual may find his meaning of life in suffering. The article also refers to some aspects (e.g. acceptance of responsibility, self-transcendence) which may help an individual to find a way to himself, to cope with a difficult life situation. The article discusses the similaraties of Jaspers´ and Frankl´s ideas. The concept of limit situations and the meaning of suffering are related to the concept of posttraumatic growth.

Eliška Kučerová, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic e-mail: eliska-kucerova@seznam.cz