Definition of the concept of will in psychology, properties and structure

Will determines the ability to achieve success: it reveals how easily one gets down to work, resists temptations, defeats procrastination and laziness, gets rid of irritants, and puts long-term results above desires for short-term pleasures.

Will in psychology, according to Wikipedia, is a person’s ability to make decisions based on the thought process and direct their thoughts and actions in accordance with the decision made. Simply put, if you made a decision to do something, but no action followed, it means that the decision was not made, and the will was suppressed by fear, stress or laziness.

Modern psychologists suggest that weakness of will may be caused by one or more of the following reasons:

• lack of suitable goals;
• indecision caused by shifting attention from one course of action to another;
• inability to choose between alternative courses of action;
• inability to make a firm decision;
• inability to break bad habits;
• inability to resist desires, impulses and urges.

Functions of the will

The will has two functions: incentive and inhibitory.

A driving will is an action or set of actions that you need to take (instilling a good habit). Inhibitory - an action that does not need to be performed (eradicating a bad habit).

Will is manifested to one degree or another in all people. However, many, despite the fact that they rationally understand that bad behavior or habit destroys life and can be very expensive (sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, smoking), change their lifestyle and behavior only for a short period of time. After a few days, weeks or months, habit takes over and the will becomes overwhelmed. Until the hour when sufficiently strong fear or self-loathing arises again.

There is a certain threshold of desire that separates motivation and will: when the desire lies below this threshold, it is motivation, and when it crosses it, the action becomes volitional.

In the history of European philosophy

the concept of V. had two main principles. meanings: 1) the ability of the mind to self-determination (including moral) and the generation of specific. causality (rationalistic tradition, historically more influential and uninterrupted from antiquity to the present); 2) fundam. property of beings that precedes reason; the basis will explain everything. models (the tradition of voluntarism of the 19th–20th centuries, represented primarily by F.W. Schelling, A. Schopenhauer, E. von Hartmann, F. Nietzsche and partly A. Bergson).

In classic rationalistic traditions V. acts as relatively independent. function of the mind. The conflict between reason and V. is almost inconceivable here, and the opposition of the volitional and the irrational goes without saying. The concept of V. highlights, first of all, the intellectual-imperative aspect of a firm, reasonable intention, an active thought striving to achieve a goal. This issue began to take shape within the framework of the concept of free will and was initially limited to the spheres of ethics, epistemology and psychology.

The concept of V. did not immediately receive terminology. fixation (which is why the Greeks were sometimes mistakenly denied any idea of ​​V.). In Plato, the “volitional” principle for the first time becomes a special subject of reflection and is understood as a synthesis of reasonable assessment and aspiration, and the latter is highlighted in the department. ability of the soul (“Symposium”, 201 dе; “Phaedrus”, 252 b seq.). Aristotle developed an “analytics” of the volitional act, considering V. as specific. causality, different from the pure intellectual sphere (contemplative reason) and from pure affects. Fundam. the ability of the soul is aspiration, and V. is unity. a type of aspiration that originates in the rational part of the soul and is a synthesis of reason and aspiration, and the object of aspiration in the act of volition is recognized as a goal (“On the Soul”, II, 3, 414 b 2; III, 9, 432 b 1 ff.). The sphere of V. corresponds to the “practical” mind, reflecting on activity and directing it. Neoplatonism, without offering fundamental innovations in the field of problems of V., moved it to the sphere of ontology (V. as the “gravitation” of the mind towards itself and towards the One in Plotinus - “Enneads”, VI, 8: “On the arbitrariness and desire of the One”).

Outlined within the framework of this classic. tradition, the process of isolating energy as the ability to act, gaining a certain independence in relation to reason and affect, found its expression in lat. the term “voluntas” (already in Lucretius and Cicero), which emphasized the dynamic. moment V. and absorbed the entire set of meanings that were presented in the diss. Greek terms. In addition, in the Latin-language tradition, a clear distinction between reason and philosophy emerged quite early (for example, Cicero, Tusculan Conversations, IV, 38, 82; Juvenal, Satires, VI, 223).

Christianity, which established the primacy of super-rational faith and love, accelerated the isolation of V. as a department. abilities and led to the emergence of a kind of “metaphysics of V.”, which manifested itself especially clearly in Lat. West since the 4th century. In the trinitarian teaching of Maria Victorina, V. is understood primarily in a substantial way: in God, V. coincides with being and is pure potency, the ability for self-realization of the Absolute (“Against Arius,” I, 52, 1080 B, etc.). Augustine, highlighting dynamic-psychological. moment of volition, by virtue of which any affect testifies to a certain volitional aspiration (“After all, will, of course, is inherent in all [movements of the soul]; moreover, they are all nothing more than will” - “On the City of God”, XIV, 6 ), in his doctrine of the “threefold” structure of the mind, affirms the substantial unity of mind, memory and will. V. there is the same directness. evidence, as being and knowledge about it (“On Free Decision”, I, 12, 25).

The medieval problematics of William did not go beyond the framework of Augustinianism (Anselm of Canterbury and others), Aristotelianism, and their possible combinations. Aristotelian motives predominate in Thomas Aquinas: V. - “the cause of itself,” the ability of self-determination of the mind; V. and reason are different, but closely related abilities of the soul. The most “radical” version of Augustinianism assumes the dynamic primacy of thought over reason: in Duns Scotus, the structure of thinking is given by thought as a primary intention: “The will that commands the mind is a higher cause from the point of view of its action” (“In I sententiarum”, IV , 49, 4).

In R. Descartes, the concept of V. is somewhat broader than the concept of reason, but in essence, volition is a mode of thinking. For B. Spinoza, reason and reason are one and the same thing, for reason cognizes the causal relationship of things and ideas: a person is determined to act by knowledge. From the point of view of G. W. Leibniz, volition is determined by reason, although on the moral plane it is not completely determined by it. In I. Kant, V. has the ability of desire, the determining basis of which is in the mind: V. is the ability to determine oneself to act in accordance with the idea of ​​laws, or “a type of causality of living beings, insofar as they are rational” (“Fundamentals of the Metaphysics of Morals”, section III). The goal of action is the objective basis for self-determination V. According to G. W. F. Hegel, “the difference between thinking and will is only the difference between a theoretical and practical attitude, will is a special way of thinking: thinking as moving itself into existence, as an impulse to communicate existence for itself” (“Philosophy of Law”, Introduction, § 4). In I. G. Fichte, V. acts within the subject as an equal ability along with reason, and the act of V. (as in Duns Scotus) has a logical. primacy in the process of self-determination of the rational “I”. The newest example of the classic. tradition can serve phenomenological. the concept of P. Ricoeur, who understands power as a “fundamental ability” - an intellectual intention containing a “project” of action, i.e., the pursuit of a goal that does not coincide with “pure” thinking, although the “power” of power is “an aspect of the cogito “: “to desire is to think.”

The basis is voluntaristic. tradition is ontological. understanding of V., based on the fact that V. is not an accident of reason, but reason is an accident of V. Voluntaristic. potential within the classical tradition was fully realized by Augustine, Duns Scotus and Fichte. Elements of actually voluntaristic. traditions can be found in J. Boehme (good or evil V. - ontological characteristics of existence) and Men de Biran, but as an integral position it is represented by the philosophy of F. W. Schelling and especially A. Schopenhauer. In Schelling, V. appears for the first time within the framework of the creationist model as the irrational underlying basis of existence, from which “conscious” V. stands out (“Philosophical Research on the Essence of Human Freedom...”). From Schopenhauer, V. receives ontocosmic. status as an irrational “will to live”, acting as a universal metaphysical. beginning and at the same time explain. model (“The World as Will and Representation”, book II, § 17 ff.). A combination of the ideas of Schelling and Schopenhauer is present in E. Hartmann’s “Philosophy of the Unconscious,” and in Nietzsche, Schopenhauer’s “will to live” is transformed into a “will to power” that is equally ontological in nature. A kind of continuation of voluntaristic. tradition is irrationalistic. Bergson's concept of "vital impulse". For a whole range of philosophies. currents of the 20th century. V.'s problem is not self-sufficient. interest (analytical philosophy, existentialism, etc.).

Volitional actions

Volitional actions are consciously controlled actions that are aimed at overcoming difficulties and obstacles in achieving set goals. They arise at a moment when a person is deprived of motivation, vitality and energy, but at the same time clearly understands what and why he needs to do.

The most important components of volitional actions:

• setting goals;
• thinking through ways and techniques to achieve the goal;
• action planning;
• overcoming negative motives;
• decision-making;
• implementation of the decision made;
• evaluation of what has been done;
• formation of an attitude to perform volitional actions in the future.

Volitional action is a rather complex process, including a whole chain of different stages and a sequence of different stages and phases. In the modern world there are so many irritants (advertising, the Internet, sounds) that it becomes increasingly difficult for a person to cultivate this valuable quality that largely determines success.

Violations

Types of violation of will:

1. Hypobulia - in this state, volitional activity decreases. This disorder is typical for lazy, slow people who find it difficult to decide to do something outside their comfort zone.
2. Abulia - lack of will, weakening of will, indecision. The individual is afraid to make decisions on his own, does not take the initiative in a group of other people, and tries to be in the background.
3. Hyperbulia is an unhealthy activity. It appears in people with manic tendencies. They take on many things at once and never finish anything.

If violations of the will are detected, the person needs to be provided with appropriate psychological assistance.

What you need to know about will

Lack of will is the highest barrier that prevents a person from changing. The problem is that it needs to be used on a daily basis, not every now and then to create a good habit or break a bad one. All our serious goals and plans collapse precisely because of our inability to control our will.

The concept of delayed gratification is closely related to will. In simple terms, it is the ability to focus on a long-term goal so as not to notice instant gratification that can interfere with plans. A week of intense training at the gym won't matter if we have a wild weekend of eating nothing but pizza and drinking.

Will is a limited resource. If we try to change, for example, stop acting impulsively, then by the evening we may experience depression and frustration. This threatens to return to an old habit. However, two points should be taken into account. First: the will can be trained - and thus we will be able to exercise it much longer during the day. Second: willpower can be wasted if you do not do what you need.

Since will is a limited resource, you need to plan your day in such a way as not to waste it. For example, avoiding places that may trigger a bad habit.

A high level of willpower almost always means high self-esteem (after all, we have something to be proud of), the ability to resist temptations in the form of alcohol, cigarettes and overeating, and improved mental and physical health.

Depleted willpower makes a person impulsive. This means that if you feel that your will is at zero, you need to do everything possible to remove temptations out of sight.

If you are convinced of the exceptional importance of developing the will, let's see exactly how this can be done. Remember that you have a long journey ahead, perhaps life-long.

1

Develop moral qualities

Researcher Kurt Gray, a doctorate in psychology at Harvard, explains this effect as a self-fulfilling prophecy: “People around them consider highly moral people to be more strong-willed and disciplined, able to endure discomfort without losing their heads.”

The researcher is confident that Gandhi or Mother Teresa were most likely not born strong-willed people, but became such by trying to help others. He introduces the concept of “moral transformation” because he suggests that moral actions can transform people from being lazy and procrastinating to strong-willed.

2

Don't waste your will

If you try really hard, you can completely exhaust your will by noon, which will have a catastrophic effect on the rest of the day and those important decisions that you will never be able to make.

For example, you set a goal to change your character, as Franklin did: allocate one or two weeks to one quality. It's a long marathon, so there's a lot to plan for.

Make not very important decisions in advance, which usually “suck” your energy. Create a menu for the coming months and stick to it. Buy the same shirts, trousers and shoes so as not to waste mental resources constantly thinking about what to wear and wear. Here and now you need to make only those decisions that concern your character. Take care of the rest in advance.

The same tips apply to other areas of life: losing weight, getting rid of bad habits, achieving the Advanced level in learning English and much more. Make all the non-important decisions in advance and focus only on the most important ones. Don't waste your will.

3

Have a self-reflection session

For this you will need a diary. Write down all the actions that you perform unconsciously (they have become habitual), but which you want to get rid of. For example:

• While working, I am constantly distracted by news sites.
• While reading, I like to be distracted by my phone.
• During a conversation, I focus on what I want to say, and not on the words of the interlocutor.

If you make a list of at least ten points, this can already be called a good self-reflection session. Now choose your two most destructive habits.

Write down what sequential actions these unwanted habits consist of. Actions should also be understood as thoughts and emotions associated with them. For example, if you tend not to listen when you're talking to someone, notice what thoughts or beliefs pop into your head. Probably, they are the ones that prevent you from concentrating on productive dialogue. Examine the nature of these thoughts.

Think about how you can stop this behavior. Remember that you can be conscious in every action you take. It's about habit, the main thing is to recognize the sequence of steps.

Over the next month, take full control of these two habits.

4

Stop for three seconds

Our life is a kilometer-long chain of habits. Some of them help, others hinder.

Throughout the day, stop in the middle of any activity (unless you're driving, of course) and think about what stage of which habit you are currently in. If we are talking about consuming bad food, then even pleasant thoughts about Coca-Cola are already part of the habit. Think for three seconds: what will this thought lead to? Of course, to the hype: “without cola I will be an unhappy person, but with cola I will be the happiest person on the planet.” Then go and buy it. Remember further: after you drank this soda, how do you feel? And in half an hour? It can be revealed that in fact you were deceiving yourself, becoming a victim of advertising and habit.

Try to be aware of yourself for three seconds as often as possible throughout the day. Using this method, you can get rid of the irresistible desire to criticize, get angry and be offended. Once “three seconds” becomes a habit, you will no longer exhaust your willpower with this exercise (it will begin to be performed automatically) and you will be able to change, motivate yourself to work, or stop unwanted actions much faster and more effectively.

We wish you good luck!

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Key words:1Psychoregulation, 4Psychoregulation

How to develop willpower

Willpower is like a muscle. If she is not pumped up, then it will be difficult to carry out complex tasks. Therefore, developing willpower is always a consistent process. Every day you need to make the slightest brief effort. When it becomes easier to do, you can complicate the task. For example, give up sweets at least once or stop working at the first demand of the mind, but not immediately, but after 10 minutes.

Meditation is also good for developing willpower, because it trains those parts of the brain that are responsible for this quality.