narration of book 1, chapter 8
The will of man is closely connected to his character and personality. It is by a constant functioning of the will that the character is formed, like fine metal being purified and beaten into shape. The will is slow-growing, nourished on ideas. Over days and years, the choices made through will-power, good or bad, directly result in the character of the man, good or bad.
Because will is a free thing and is always voluntary, suggestion often hinders its progress. Like the mind itself, the will is fed on ideas. Found in literature, pictures, and conversations—ideas nourish the will with a wealth of vibrant thoughts to draw from, sustaining it through the often difficult decision making process. Suggestion, on the other hand, can lead the will away from good choices and into a slavish obedience to a certain individual or society at large.
There is an important point to be considered; the distinction between willful and strong-willed. Persons who are willful are governed by their own passions and desires. They serve themselves and their own interests. Rather than a true action of will taking place in the soul of man, willful persons serve themselves, and self-service requires no volition. Those who are strong-willed, on the other hand, are governed by their will rather than their desires. Their actions are outward bound, they serve others rather than themselves. This distinction between willful and strong-willed does not reflect an equivalent distinction between good and bad. A person may be guided by a strong will of service to others, but still make wrong choices and end his life with a poor character. A good character is formed when one is guided by will to serve others in a way that is right.
As mentioned above, the essence of the will is always to serve others. As it is involuntary and requires no action of will, self-service is easy and natural. This way of life appeals to the passive and lazy as an easy repose for the will, which is often fatigued by the overwhelming stimuli of suggestions presented to it and the heavy responsibility of decision making. However, self-culture is a representation of weak will and is not to be accepted as the ideal.
What then, are we to do when the will becomes overstrained? Like the body and the mind, the will requires both sustenance and repose. It is important to recognize these needs, and give the will both its proper and fitting nourishment, which is ideas, and rest, which is diversion. Rather than giving into the temptation to follow popular suggestion, the will should be allowed to rest through recreation. Thinking on any other subject than the one at hand, reading a book, going outdoors for fresh air and movement; these are all good diversions for the will. Generally after a short rest, the will is refreshed and prepared to once again shoulder the burden of decision.
There is a certain chivalry in this strong-willed character. Whether he has a role of leadership or obedience, the person who achieves it makes a voluntary choice to serve others above himself. He weighs his choices carefully, evaluating between what his desire is and what is right. He gives his will plenty of healthy repose through diversion, and is not overstrained by a burden so heavy that he weakens and follows suggestions which may lead him astray. His will is strong and he is fit and ready for whatever service is required of him.
quotes
“The will has only one mode of action, its function is to choose, and with every choice we make we grow in force of character.”
“Those who propose suggestion as a means of education do not consider that with every such attempt upon a child they weaken that which should make a man of him, his own power of choice.”
“To fortify the will is one of the great purposes of education.”
“He learns to distribute the characters he comes across in his reading on either side of a line, those who are wilful and those who are governed by will…between the impulsive, self-pleasing, self-seeking, and the persons who have an aim beyond and outside of themselves.”
“The will, too, is of slow growth, nourished upon the ideas proposed to it.”
“Our concern with life is to be fit, and according to our fitness come our occasions and the uses we shall be put to.”
“Every gallant boy and girl has learned to choose to obey all who are set in authority.”
“When the overstrained will asks for repose, it may not relax to yielding point but may and must seek recreation, diversion.”
“All adequate education must be outward bound, and the mind which is concentrated upon self-emolument, even though it be the emolument of all the virtues, misses the higher and the simpler secrets of life.”