We are talking about an old motto that still holds a lot of meaning, “To Will and To Dare.” This may be misworded, but the concepts are there.
Will. Lots of thought goes into will, even talk about it, but it’s just assumed that other people know what will is. I have seen a lot of things be called will, from stubborn resistance to zealous commitment, but do these suffice to define will?
I would offer today that they do not, because will has qualities that we attribute to hope, in that it springs eternal. Even in the inversion commonly known as the death wish, we have a sense of drive no matter what our more general attitude about life is. In fact, our drives are often characterized as indescribable. I don’t know that just writing off will as an indescribable drive does us much good. Anyone feel that is sufficient?
The first behaviour that could be described as will is observed in early infancy, where the infant begins to grasp, taste and stare at everything. They are very driven to do this and do need adult assistance to exclude things from this exploration that are actually hurtful. Is this not the purest expression of will in human beings?
Yes, and our hands get slapped. As is sometimes necessary as the will can possess a quality of almost blind fervour.
Brute expression as opposed to minded. Indeed. The mindful expression of will is rightfully what we would mature into, but do most of us as a people mature into this mindfulness?
We usually go into the routine instead. In part, because of a viral error in judgement. People mistake will for a “drive to do”. So they ascribe spiteful intent, at least subconsciously, to will, and link wilfulness to spitefulness in educating us in self management. But the will existed well before any contrary stances and prejudices we may have formed. The infant is not born argumentative.
To will is to know. To will is to say “I know”, and we all can be driven to desperation in the struggle to be able to confidently say “I know”. Perhaps the first challenge to our true will is to be able to confidently say “I know my parents love me”.
To the point where people exclaim they don’t know who they are. Indeed, and suicides routinely leave sentiments that run along the lines of “I don’t know what good I am to anyone, or what point there is to my life.”
Your thoughts are welcome. Be well friends.
Travis Saunders
Dragon Intuitive
~science,mysticism,spirituality~