Victor Frankl survived 4 death camps during WW2 while losing his parents, his brother and his wife to Hitler’s murderous regime. While Frankl experienced the worst of humanity and the terrors of human suffering, he realized that finding meaning, even in Auschwitz, was essential to survival and living a life of purpose.

What guidance can Frankl and other existential thinkers of that time offer us to deal with the stresses and uncertainties of today’s world? Our guest, social and cultural psychologist Steven Heine, says that everything we do is “wrapped up in layer’s of meaning” and that connection is at the root of a life well-lived. His book is Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times.