Will-to-good

Here comes a definition of will-to-good by Roberto Assagioli from this source.

Here, the will element clearly predominates. While the initial motive may also be love, there is, however, the manifestation of a dynamic, energetic will which leads to a throwing oneself into the fight against existing evils, against bullying, impositions, exploitation and violence against all kinds of people and things. It is a decisive and resolute “will for good”, capable of sacrifice, able to face suffering and risk danger. It should be remembered that the profound and original meaning of sacrifice is “consecration” or “making sacred”.

Here, however, constant awareness and vigilance are needed so that the element of will does not prevail so much over love that it almost eliminates it. It is necessary to be on guard lest the value and justice of the ends to be achieved lead to the use of excessively drastic and harsh means, to the imposition of one’s own will, and justifying this on the grounds of the goodness of the goal to be achieved, lest it lead to impatience and unnecessary violence. In other words, it is necessary to avoid the fanaticism that leads to the sacrifice of human beings to ideas or ideologies. Here too — one might even say especially here — the use of balancing wisdom is needed.

It is also necessary to refrain from negative judgments and feelings, which can lead to resentment and hatred against those who do evil. We must try to understand the reasons that may have led them to do so, including mistakes, injustices and failings in their family, and the social environments in which they found themselves.

Finally, we should always remember the consequences that they attract to themselves. The fate of so many criminals and dictators dramatically demonstrates this, and even when such retribution is not discernible, we can still rely on the great law of cause and effect, which we can continually see at work not only in the external world, but at all levels of life.