Painting by Gregory Frank Harris

Strength of Will by Rev. Edward John Boyd Barrett, 1915, Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur

My Note: Definition of Conation:

• The aspect of mental processes or behavior directed toward action or change and including impulse, desire, volition, and striving.
• An endeavor or attempt.

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We know little about the will. We are aware of its spiritual nature, and we can trace it roughly in some of its activities. We are familiar with some of the phenomena which accompany willing, but that is all.

Compared with the knowledge we have of the memory, what we know of the will is as nothing. We are unable to measure it, to distinguish its various types, or to juggle with it in experimentation as in the case of the memory. It is elusive. It baffles us and escapes from observation.

We make plans whereby to catch a glimpse of it in its working and our plans fail. We know we have wills and that we will. We are conscious that willing is not thinking nor imagining. Most of us know little more.

The method by which we seek to study the will is the introspective method. We look into ourselves and try to see what happens. We have a choice to make. The will decides for one or other of the alternatives.

We carefully follow the movements of the will. The play of motives and of impulses interests us. Hesitation perhaps takes place and we follow its growth and development. The choice-process proceeds, develops, is completed and the choice is made.

But although we know that the will has made its appearance and has acted the essential role, we have not been able to distinguish it!

Yet, whatever of importance we do know about the will is known through introspection. Patience and practice and skill in introspection eventually result in our being able to observe the will somewhat, and to distinguish the characteristics of good willing.

It is fascinating work, that of studying the will, but it is difficult and delicate. It is not hard to affirm that there is a will-feeling which is quite different from other feelings or emotional states, but it is not easy to analyze and distinguish the ingredients of the will-feeling.

It is easy to see that consent is different from resolution, but it is not so easy to point out the precise difference, in psychological elements, between these two acts of the will. Yet it is by introspection alone that this can be done.

The mind must watch and follow and scrutinize the various phases of volitional activity. The mind has this power, and it is a power worthy of exercise.

Many words and phrases denote volitional activities. “To make up one’s mind,” to resolve, to consent, to desire, to strive, to choose, to make an effort—these infinitives point to will acts.

Conation, intention, willing, inhibiting, controlling, permitting, preventing, and many such words are also used of the will.

When a man of character, at some crisis of his life, makes up his mind to adopt a certain course, and says, “I will do so and so. I am determined to do it. It is my firm intention to do it”—he is speaking of a certain state of soul that we call willing.

This state is radically different from all other states. It is about action. It is emotional. It concerns self and is very personal. It is a law and a line of conduct. It binds and controls. It is creative and arbitrary. It means self-determination.

Self rules self. It is about the future. It is about reality. It is something almost sacred. The will has been defined as “the faculty of inclining towards or striving after some object intellectually apprehended as good.”

We know that there is an active side in us—a “doing” side as well as a mere recipient or passive side. We tend outwards, we attack or carry out at one time; at another we submit, undergo and suffer.

Now the former state, the “ad” state, is that of willing. But we must tend towards something. The something towards which we tend by nature is “the good.”

The intellect sees and knows something useful or perfect. Our interest is aroused. We are attracted by this something. At first a mere fancy or a vague wish is experienced. Then a stronger wish grows into a desire. With the desire a certain tending towards is awakened. The will is now at work. We are striving, or seeking for the good.

This develops into conation and deliberate effort to attain the good. The striving for the good is a force—a vis appetitiva—it is the function of the will. It may be more or less strong. It grows or wanes. It may be deep in our nature or shallow and light.

If very weak and transient it will not entail long protracted work and effort. At most it will entail an impulsive effort. Or it may entail no active effort, but may only provoke a hesitation and dilatoriness of mind. Now the art of rendering this vis appetitiva deep and strong and lasting is the art of strengthening the will.

With the man of strong will, the vis appetitiva is so powerful that it overcomes all obstacles, faces all difficulties, and outlives all delays. From this it is perhaps clear that the will is “the faculty of inclining towards or striving after some object intellectually apprehended as good.”

It may be well to give a concrete example. Let us suppose that a boy of fifteen accompanies his father, who is a keen mountain-climber, to Switzerland. The boy overhears his father speak of a grand climb up a difficult summit.

The boy’s interest is aroused. His mind pictures the pleasure and honor to be gained by climbing this mountain. The achievement appears to him a bonum. His mind apprehends it as such. He begins to wish to do it. The wish grows. He desires. Finally he resolves to climb the mountain.

He is delayed and perhaps prevented for a time. He desires and resolves all the more. Day by day his resolution grows stronger. He strives to find a good opportunity. He makes plans. He saves up to pay for guides. He makes every possible preparation.

He is most energetic about this and quite naturally, for his will is bent on it. Everything which is calculated to help on his plans becomes desirable, becomes a bonum. He takes a keen pleasure in his resolution.

At last an opportunity presents itself, and at once, almost without an effort, he is at work climbing. In the actual fulfillment of his resolution he finds pleasure. When he succeeds and reaches the top he experiences a deep feeling of satisfaction. “The object” intellectually apprehended as good has been won!

All his acts leading up to the attainment of his end were directed by his will. The vis appetitiva carried him over all obstacles, and controlled all his movements until the bonum was gained.

We have used the expression “to will will” more than once. A word of explanation may now be offered.

It often happens that we see before us some task or work of considerable difficulty that we are inclined to shirk. We realize that it would cost us a big effort and we feel very disinclined for such an effort. Still we are intimately aware that should we set our minds to it, we could accomplish it. If we did resolve to achieve the task we could achieve it.

But we refrain from willing. We refuse to set our wills to the task. Then, a second state of mind springs up, in the form of a question, “Shall we set our will to work? Shall we put our will in motion? Shall we will to will?”

Here the will is confronted with the duty of driving itself, of putting itself to work. If we now answer the question affirmatively and say, “Yes! We shall put our wills in motion,” then we really and truly will to will.

This act is par excellence the work of the will, and the best exercise for the will. Here the will determines itself. Here the will acts most directly and most surely along the lines of good willing.

The will wills—the will wills to will!

I want to be able to lay my head down at night knowing I have connected with those things that matter most…..

So that when my life is at its close it can be said, “You have run the race, you have fought the good fight.” and I will be remembered, not for what I have accomplished, but for HAVING LOVED WELL….. -Finer Femininity

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Strength of Will by Rev. Edward John Boyd Barrett, 1915, Nihil Obstat, Imprimatur

The only will-training which the plain man undergoes is the will-training which the practice of religion affords. This is, of course, a very variable quantity. Nevertheless, in the case of a man who faithfully adheres to his religious duties it is not inconsiderable. It will be our duty now, as far as possible, to estimate its nature and extent.

In Catholicism, for it is the religion we contemplate, there are many factors which tell for the education and improvement of the will. There is, first of all, the earnest striving towards the Summum Bonum, towards God, which is the central fact of religion, and the great, supreme work of the will.

There is next, the principle of asceticism, via., that given a good intention in a moral act, the more strongly and whole-heartedly we will, the more value the act will have—for willing, as we know, can be more or less intense.

There is, thirdly, the discipline of regularity and fidelity in religious exercises; and, lastly, the practice of internal and external mortification, which is boldly and uncompromisingly insisted upon by the Church—”unless you do penance you shall all perish.” Two principles on which Catholic asceticism to a great extent reposes have close reference to the will.

(1) In acts of worship the most important element, the element whereby we merit, is will and intention.

(2) In attaining virtue and self-perfection, our chief aim should be to go against ourselves, that is, to utilize our will in overcoming passion. The Catholic religion calls for great regularity in worship. There are yearly, and weekly, and daily duties. There are vigils of feasts and long periods, Lent and Advent, to be kept in the spirit of penance. There are duties, hard and severe for the human heart, to be undergone.

Confession, and fasting, and weekly Mass. In all things the spirit of order prevails–even in the smallest details. How and when to use Holy Water, how and when to recite the Office—in all particulars there is perfect method. The discipline of the whole system is faultless.

There is no disorder, no uncertainty. Nothing is left to chance. The will submits to rule, and in embracing religion it embraces order and regularity. It seeks to form for itself good habits, and finds therein the foundation of virtue.

It finds, in fact, that in practicing virtue it is learning to will well, and that in willing well it is practicing virtue. As we shall see later on, one of the best exercises for the will is to put before itself a clear, well-defined task which is not too difficult and to set itself in all earnestness to accomplish it. Now, this is precisely the kind of exercise that religion affords the will.

Let the task be to attend Mass next Sunday, or to fast next Friday, or to make restitution on such a date for something stolen. In each case the duty is clear and well-defined. Seriousness and earnestness in the accomplishment of the duty are in each case evoked by the consideration of the moral gravity of neglecting it.

The will has to brace itself up, to face the task bravely, and to fulfil it completely. An effort is called for, and that effort is good for the will.

But further than this, religion improves the will by calling for reiterated efforts. An isolated effort is of little significance in will-education, whereas regularly repeated efforts mean very much.

Now religion calls for the methodical expenditure of effort. Let us take the simple case of morning prayers. It is not enough to say them occasionally or fairly often. We are asked to say them every morning. That is, we are asked, every morning, to make an effort.

So it is for nearly all the duties of religion. They recur. They demand reiterated efforts. The will is not suffered to lie fallow. It is kept constantly at work. No doubt, habit smoothes away the harsh shock of effort, and automatism comes to our help, but nevertheless there is always the fundamental necessity of making efforts.

One of the points in which religion does most for the will is its regard to resolutions. To make and keep a good resolution is a power that every faithful Catholic has to acquire.

Now to resolve is an act of the will. It means that the will chooses a bonum, an end or object, and aims at its acquisition. It wills, seeks, strives for, and desires that bonum with more or less intensity.

Now, as our whole moral good frequently depends on the making and keeping of a good resolution, the Catholic Church has taught us through her ascetic writers how to do so. Further, she aids us in every way to make and keep good resolutions, thus doing an inestimable work for the education of the will.

It may perhaps be well to dwell on this point, so as to bring out clearly the part of religion in will-training. Catholic ascetics teach us, in this matter, first of all to have a clear and definite view of the object we propose to ourselves—let us suppose that it is to overcome the passion of anger.

Now the resolution “not to give way to anger” would be far too broad and too great. Applying the principle, “divide et impera,” we con-tent ourselves with resolving “not to give way to external manifestations of anger.” But here again, our resolution is too broad and too great.

We again apply the principle, “divide et impera,” and resolve “not to give way to angry retorts.” This resolution is pointed, definite and intelligible—it means that cross and peevish remarks must not occur.

A time limit may now be added in order to make the resolution still more well-defined. “Until the last day of this month I will not make an angry retort.”

Possibly, it might be advisable to limit this resolution still more, by conditions of place or circumstance, adding “in such a place or to such a person, or during such a ceremony,” but we shall suppose that to be unnecessary.

The resolution being now well formulated, the task of making it begins. Merely to say it over or to promise it in a feeble way is absolutely useless. The whole will, with the whole force and energy of the will, must be brought into it.

Not only that, but the whole living strengths of the will must be literally hurled into it, not once or twice, but again and again each day, right up to the very last day of the month. The resolution must be meant.

We must be able to say, “Yes! before God, I mean that! I mean it as intensely and really as I can ever mean anything! I will keep that resolution. I know I can and will keep it because I mean it. Further, I will take every precaution to keep it alive and vigorous within me by re-making it again and again.”

Needless to say such resolutions should not be lightly made, nor should they be trifled with. In them the credit of the will is at stake. It is a serious thing to make a serious resolution, and it is a bad thing to break one, bad for the will and bad for self-respect.

The early verbalizing, the magic and romantic lyricism of love letters, and long, late-night telephone conversations — all of these are left behind. Even the constant repetition of the words of love finds husband and wife admitting to each other that words do not express what they wish them to express. Thus, verbal symbols give way to a thousand variations of concrete symbols: a surprise gift, a note on the refrigerator, an evening planned totally for the other — always designed to unlock in the other that secret closet of joy. In creating their masterpiece, truly “their life’s work”, husband and wife each look to the other’s needs. -Father of the Family, Clayton Barbeau https://amzn.to/2tnTeJO (afflink)

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