Meaninglessness in logotherapy refers to which of the following?

• A. There is an inherent meaning in life that structures all experience.
• B. There is no inherent meaning; individuals must create their own meaning.
• C. Meaning is determined solely by social norms.
• D. Meaning is discovered only through external validation.

Answer: (B)

Meaninglessness in logotherapy reflects the idea that life does not come with an inherent, fixed meaning. Viktor Frankl argues that meaning is created by the person through choices, commitments, and attitudes, even in suffering. If life had an inherent meaning, we wouldn’t need to seek or decide what matters; logotherapy centers on personal responsibility to discover or construct meaning. Meaning can be found through actions, love, and the stance one takes toward circumstances, rather than through external sources. Believing that meaning is determined by social norms or external validation would shift meaning away from the individual’s deliberate act of choosing significance. Therefore, the view that there is no inherent meaning and that individuals must create their own meaning captures the concept in this framework.