| Title | : | The Way to Will Power |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 113 |
| Publication | : | First published June 15, 1922 |
This is Hazlitt before he became an advocate of the Austrian School, and here he is not writing on economics but personal ethics as informed by ancient principles. But the pre-Austrian in him shines through, because it is an application of the theory of time preference he picked up from his reading.
The book has been nearly impossible to get until this new edition, completely reset by the Mises Institute.
Why bring it back? Because it is Hazlitt, and because it is just splendid as a manual for the management of personal life Just look at some of these quotes:
"Will-Power, then, may be defined as the ability to keep a remote desire so vividly in mind that immediate desires which interfere with it are not gratified."
"As long as we keep in the backgrounds of our minds that the will is really an abstraction, there is no harm in speaking of it a good part of the time as if it were an entity; and insofar as it can be said to represent a definite and permanent entity, the will may be defined as our desire to be a certain kind of character. "
"It is not the 'conscience' in itself, nor the 'evil' desires, that ultimately count; it is the relation of the one to the other. The stronger his conscience, or counter-desires, must be; the weaker his desires, the less need he has for a strong conscience."
"A man who is good from docility, and not from stern self-control, has no character."
"Not all of us have refused tempting commercial opportunities for certain poverty and struggle for a time, to gain an end in which the mathematical chances were ridiculously and overwhelmingly against us. Not all have kept desperately fanning the embers of dissatisfaction, fanning them into a constant white hot flame. With most of us the early fire dies; the embers fade and grow cool. We reach a high level as we ever seriously hope to reach. We have spasms of dissatisfaction with our position in the world, but not sufficient dissatisfaction to make us work our way out of the rut to a higher position. We have moments of longing for mountain tops, but not enough longing to make us willing to give up something for them. Strolling in the valleys is so much more pleasant than climbing."
"Forming a new habit is like forging for yourself a new path in the woods, through stubborn underbrush and prickly thorns, while all the while it is possible for you to take the well-worn, hard-trodden, pleasant path that already exists. But you can reflect that every time you travel through the new path you are going to tramp down more shrubbery and clear more entanglements from the way."
About Oscar Wilde's temptation epigram ("The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it."): "Like all good epigrams, it is at least true in a special sense. And the sense in which the epigram is true is that if you yield to a temptation, you will get rid of it for the moment. ... For the very fact that you have yielded to the temptation will make it return at a later time with increased power and urgency. Every time you yield to it, you do two things: you increase the intensity of the desire and lessen the power of resistance."
"The problem, then, in all creative work, is to seek to sustain the interest at the highest pitch, never allowing it to flag. ... Eight times out of nine it is flagging interest, rather than real fatigue, which makes us quit."
"We honestly intend to do certain things, and for some strange reason we keep ont intending to do them. There is nothing especially difficult about them. They demand no gritting of teeth, no heroic sacrifice. They are simply not as pleasant as certain other things."
"Interest, excitement, absorption in the pursuit of a subject, make you forget yourself and your discomforts. ... This principle in the mental field applies quite as strongly in the physical. A man who would be completely tired out if he beat a rug for his wife, will play five sets of tennis of an afternoon... . The first is 'work' the second 'play'."
"You want your friends to know of your will-power, but the best way for them to discover it will be through your actions, not your words."
The Way to Will Power Reviews
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A solid manual for generating and sustaining willpower, for motivating one to have the needed daily strength, and for turning willpower-requiring activities into effortless habits. It's certainly an old fashioned read, but it pairs well with Duhigg's "The Power of Habit." This is early Henry Hazlitt.
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It is not the first book I have read by him, and it will not be the last. Because his language without paraphernalia or superfluous embellishments, and his coherent and intelligent ideas make him, in my eyes, one of the most stimulating authors to talk about philosophy. Also because he was a man ke the world a better place through his written words and his own life experience.
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From this book my knowledge about willpower was improved.
Acording to this author our will power feeds upon our desires. In other words, the will that will make me move to do sports is the desire to be healthy, feel better, have better looks, attract better mating oportunites, increase my willpower to do other hard things and so on.
So without the desire to gain something in the future we basically have no willpower.
Then comes the sacrifice. We have to give up on our imediate craving to gain something we have idealized in the future.
Willpower is trained by planing our actions in advance, for example, here comes in the utilitie of to-do lists, week plans and yearly plans. But! We have to plan in such a way that we actually do it. Planing too much will crush our willpower and steal us selfconfidence. So better is to set the bar low and start by a single daily mission that can be achieved that can later be upregulated.
By doing this and achieving our set goals we slowly aquire momentum and build selfconfidence to make a thriving life. -
It is interesting book. It has viewpoint that Will doesn’t exist, it is just Desire. And Will
Power is ability to stay to Greater Desire and don’t spend yourself on small and near future desires.
Summary:
*If you decide to do something do it, or You can lose self respect.
*Consider Sacrifice of doing it. There is always sacrifice between doing one or
another thing. Similar idea from seminar about Economics. “Face the price “
*Will Power is like Weight lifting- start with small and increase...
*Habit is like dry river path.
*Forming a new habit is like cutting new way through the jungle, next time going
through this way will be easier.
*Willpower is important only for periods of chance. But it will be always needed
because there will always be ways for improving yourself.
*Don’t fall into “this will be the last time” excuse! Last time was the last time!
*Sexual cravings can be overcomed by Will Power such as all other cravings.
*You can not contain and take all knowledge of different subjects. By doing that you
risk to have very limited knowledge at all subjects. This is not wise and not
convenient. I must accept to be ignorant about some subjects (at least for some
time). Knowledge must be systematic!
*Stay on one subject for reasonable time!
*Concentration is focus on one task!
*There are two types of concentration: short and long term concentration.
*You can read anywhere, don’t make excuses!
Don’t be ashamed that you seek self improvement. Change Priorities.
*Attaining school is much easier than studying at home. It is because of habits.
*Say No! Even if it is unkind. Defend yourself!
*Cold shower in the morning is a good exercise for Will Power.
*All Geniuses worked with Passion and Love! They did not drugged themselves to
job they didn’t enjoy.
*Don’t tell your friends about your Will Power, Show it with your Works and Actions.
*Don’t be oversatisfied with Yourself - You have put bar to low.
*Admit that You can make mistakes.
*Be Brave to be unpopular.
*Think for Yourself - Be freedom of thought.
*Dare to Think! And You Will have Will Power. -
Jeśli szukasz niestandardowego poradnika osiągania sukcesu, trafiłeś/-aś idealnie. Henry Hazlitt pisze nie tylko o osiąganiu celów czy planowaniu, ale skupia się na kwestii znacznie ważniejszej – na ludzkiej sile woli. Mimo że minęło prawie 100 lat od pierwszej publikacji książki (1922 r.), wiedza w niej przedstawiona jest nadal aktualna i z pewnością znajdzie zastosowanie także w naszych czasach.
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Dodatkową ciekawostką jest biografia autora, zamieszczona w pierwszej części publikacji przygotowanej przez wydawnictwo Fijorr. Co prawda, w pierwszym odruchu chciałem ją "przeskoczyć", ale nie zrobiłem tego. I bardzo się cieszę, ponieważ przybliżenie sylwetki Hazlitta okazało się bardzo przydatne w dalszej części lektury. Nadało odpowiedni kontekst rozważaniom autora. -
"Will-Power, then, may be defined as the ability to keep a remote desire so vividly in mind that immediate desires which interfere with it are not gratified."
"Before you make any formal resolution whatsoever, make certain that you genuinely desire to carry it out. Let there be no doubt that the end you have in view is so desirable or advantageous that it will outweigh all desires or advantages or all the ends that are likely to have to be foregone or abandoned in order to attain it. In short, be sure you are willing to pay the price."
"To make a resolve and break it is demoralizing."
Great little book full of wisdom. Must re-read. -
The author explores the concept of will power and its relationship with desire, character, and habits. It suggests that it is essentially the manifestation of a dominant desire at any given time, driving action and shaping character. The text emphasizes the importance of setting and adhering to personal ideals, even in the face of social opposition, and highlights the need for self-examination and independent thinking to determine one's moral code.
Furthermore, it discusses the significance of habit formation in strengthening willpower, noting that habits are crucial for skill acquisition and personal development. It underscores the role of concentration in achieving goals, both in short-term focus and long-term commitment to mastering a subject or skill. Additionally, the text emphasizes the importance of facing challenges, saying no when necessary, and maintaining a sense of humility and self-criticism in the pursuit of improvement.
Overall, the book offers stoic inspired insights into the psychology of will power, the power of habits, and the importance of courage and perseverance in personal growth and achievement. -
The Way to Will Power by Henry Hazlitt is an insightful book that explores the power of self-discipline and determination. Hazlitt provides practical steps, anecdotes, and examples to guide readers in harnessing their willpower. This book goes beyond self-help, delving into the psychological and philosophical aspects of willpower. It offers strategies to overcome obstacles and achieve lasting change. Overall, it is a valuable resource for those seeking personal growth and self-improvement.
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I listened to this book on LibriVox. I think I need to listen again and get the hard copy to follow along with. There is a lot of great wisdom here, and I feel like I missed a lot of it during my highly distracted, walk-the-dogs listening time. I will definitely be re-visiting this title and other works by Hazlitt.
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https://adnjoo.github.io/book-reviews... -
Siła woli, to książka którą zdecydowanie mógłbym polecić wszystkim swoim znajomym. Jest krótka, ale niech nas to nie zniechęca, bo mogłaby być jeszcze krótsza. Gdyby autor pozbył się rozwiniętych opisów i wielu obszernych przykładów, to całość mogłaby przybrać formę kilkunasto-stronicowego eseju. Mimo to na sto kilkudziesięciu stronach znajdziemy wiedzę, która ma duże szanse odmienić sposób, w jaki podchodzimy do swoich życiowych celów.
Mimo iż tytuł książki, to "Siła woli", autor na samym początku deklaruje, że coś takiego jak siła woli, w ogóle nie istnieje. Przedstawia koncepcję, według której to, co w życiu robimy zależy tylko i wyłącznie od naszych żądz i potrzeb, których zaspokajanie lub wstrzymywanie się od zaspokojenia daje iluzję woli.
Czytając tę książkę dowiemy się, że tak na prawdę siła woli, to nic innego jak żądza oparcia się pokusom i dotarcia do celu. Poznamy także mechanizmy jakich używa nasz umysł by rozstrzygnąć, która z konkurujących żądz wygra i zostanie zaspokojona oraz dowiemy się, w jaki sposób najlepiej kreować postanowiena, które pomogą nam dotrzeć docelu.
Nie jest to niewątpliwie jedna z tych książek, z których wyciągniemy kilka reguł, które doprowadzą nas do celu. Już od samego początku, autor wylewa na nas kubeł zimnej wody, by rozwiać niewłaściwy sposób podejścia do problematyki, a następnie przedstawia skróconą anatomię zagadnienia, z której każdy wybierze taką metodę, która najlepiej będzie mu odpowiadać. Bowiem, jak sam Hazlitt argumentuje, każdy człowiek ma różne potrzeby i w odmienny sposób je zaspokaja.
Nie ulega wątpliwości, że "Siła woli" odmieniła moje podejście do wykonywania obranych sobie postanowień. Biorąc pod uwagę rychło zbliżający się koniec roku, uważam ją za odpowiednią lekturę, przed podjęciem noworocznych postanowień. -
Henry Hazlitt próbował promować Stoicyzm zanim zachód ponownie odkrył go dla współczesności. albo jak to się dzisiaj mówi - zanim był trendy. Oczywiście książka ta nie traktuje o antycznej filozofii, ale jej duch przesiąka całe 150 stron.
Radość w przełamywaniu własnych barier, w budowaniu rutyn, świadome, nieustanne parcie do przodu z uśmiechem na twarzy. Taki ideał sprzedaje Hazlitt przy okazji promując idee wolnego rynku, która w jego wydaniu jest bardzo ludzka, przyziemna, codzienna. Czy ktoś w dzisiejszych, wypełnionych po brzegi nachalną promocją "wolności za wszelką cenę", dostrzeże piękno dążenia do ideału człowieka spełnionego w pracy? U Hazlita wyczuwam podobny zachwyt nad dziarskim zapieprzaniem, co u Ayn Rand.
Czy jednak ktoś w takie ideały jeszcze dzisiaj wierzy? Szczerze wątpię, dzisiaj modne jest raczej życie na czyiś koszt i nie branie odpowiedzialności za swoje życie. Coś złego się dzieje, to na pewno wina nieudolnego Państwa, a my sami jesteśmy cacy, tacy ludzcy, błądzący, ułomni. Cóż, takie czasy....
Być może więc, tym bardziej warto spojrzeć na to, jakie ideały mieli niektórzy piewcy wolności w pierwszej połowie XX wieku. Można się uśmiechnąć na ich naiwność lub podziwiać szczerość dążenia do ideałów. Wybór należy do czytelnika.
Kiedy pierwszy raz czytałem tę skromną książeczkę w 2018r, napisałem tylko:
Zwyczajnie świetna. Simply - must read.
Podtrzymuję swoje zdanie. Dla jednych będzie to prosta, naiwna książka. Dla innych esencja filozofii brania spraw w swoje ręce, z dziarskim stoickim dążeniem do ideału w tle, no i... bez zbędnego lania wody.
Zachęciłem? Względnie, zniechęciłem? ;) -
Very clearly written, had some great points, have to reread.
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It required whole of my willpower to finish this book. Book is theoretical in nature and a normal person wont be able to relate it to fully.
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A short book with mostly solid advice and very enjoyable writing.
