Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him-mentally and spiritually. He may retain his human dignity even in a concentration camp. Dostoevski said once, "There is only one thing that I dread: not to be worthy of my sufferings." These words frequently came to my mind after I became acquainted with those martyrs whose behavior in camp, whose suffering and death, bore witness to the fact that the last inner freedom cannot be lost. It can be said that they were worthy of their sufferings; the way they bore their suffering was a genuine inner achievement. It is this spiritual freedom- which cannot be taken away- that makes life meaningful and purposeful. Viktor E. Frankl
About This Quote

In prison camp, all prisoners have their basic needs fulfilled by the guards. In addition, there is a certain amount of liberty that inmates have. For example, they can go to the washroom and wash their clothes. At the time, the food rations were generous enough for a prisoner to survive.

Even though camp rules are strict and there is a lot of discipline, prisoners have a sense of dignity and self-respect because they know they are human beings and not animals. They all create an atmosphere where prisoners feel they are free to decide for themselves what will become of them physically and spiritually. They know that even under such circumstances, they can retain their human dignity and dignity as a human being.

Source: Mans Search For Meaning

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