Will is a character trait that allows a person to independently choose how to act and what to think about. This is an extremely important quality on which practically all the achievements of mankind are based.
Will in psychology
In contrast to the everyday understanding of will, in psychology everything is a little more complicated. There are several concepts, some of which are driven by the latest discoveries in neuroscience. Understanding the mechanisms of how the human brain actually works can change the entire existing system of ideas not only about will, but also about other properties of a person's character.
As a rule, the concept of will in modern psychology means the ability to consciously achieve one's goal. Qualities that are strong-willed: determination, perseverance, fortitude, self-control, independence and others.
Will can be characterized as the ability to act in spite of the circumstances and not accept them. Not everyone will agree that this is correct in all situations, but sometimes it is a very powerful tool to change your life.
Conscious choice
The mechanism of conscious choice is not fully understood. Many thinkers have tried to investigate the mechanism by which free choice is made. Modern psychology identifies three aspects that are present in the mechanism of conscious choice.
First of all, this is focus. A person sets himself a goal that he is going to achieve. All other circumstances are "marked" as secondary. Such a perception makes a volitional decision much easier, since if there are two paths, and one of which will lead to an important goal, and the other not, the choice is not so difficult to make.
The second component of volitional choice is the control of emotions and thoughts. Contrary to the misconception that the will is, first of all, the control of action, psychologists have proved that the will is thought. If a person is unable to control their thoughts, it is difficult to expect that they will be able to control actions. Conversely, controlling thoughts makes the choice of the right action almost a foregone conclusion.
The third important point in the mechanism of volitional decision is control over the environment. If in a person's life there are circumstances that interfere with the implementation of his goals, he gets rid of them. Often this even happens unconsciously. For example, those who are serious about losing weight will try to spend less time with friends in front of the TV, and quitting smokers will not go out with colleagues on the porch as before.
Will is an amazing mechanism, but closer examination shows that a person makes an important volitional decision long before that very moment comes. The right environment, the right thoughts, the right focus: all this makes volitional effort not at all as difficult as one might think.
Will and optimism
Will, oddly enough, is closely related to optimism. So, it is noticed that willpower can decrease in those people who are prone to a pessimistic mood. The easiest way to explain this is with an example. Optimists hope for a good result, and as long as there is hope, they keep trying. Pessimists quickly lose hope and may become depressed. They will not try to show will to fight the situation, since the fight seems pointless to them. Depression also affects willpower.
