The will is central to psychosynthesis and Roberto Assagioli identifies three aspects of it: the strong, good and intelligent will. In this article he describes the specific characteristics of good will.
By Roberto Assagioli , Translation Ebba Larsen
It is a very encouraging sign in today’s confused world, so full of difficult, contradictory and startling possibilities, that the concept of “good will” is being discussed, acknowledged and championed. But it is never easy to look at the familiar with new eyes.
Too often, goodwill is seen as simple and obvious, something that every well-meaning person takes for granted and applies without thinking about it and probably without any special motivation. Most often, goodwill is seen as identical with a welcoming character and a friendly attitude – but friendliness and friendliness can sometimes show overtones of condescension and patient tolerance when it comes to the weaknesses of others, tacitly considering them inferior or less developed. Or it can be seen as an attitude that makes contact between people smooth and pleasant, in other words, it can be a modern substitute for the politeness that seems to have gone out of fashion and which is expressed as good manners. Since none of these popular views is appropriate, it may be important to draw attention here to the deeper meanings, to the more comprehensive meanings and to the positive and dynamic character of goodwill.
Goodwill is a principle
What is Good Will? Good will is a principle, and a principle has been called “the thought of God,” something that gives direction and direction in life, and that provides what we might call a yardstick or scale of values for our attitudes and actions. A principle is a spiritual reality, a truth to which the soul responds, and it is always attuned to the greatest good of the greatest number. Principles are always based on the great laws, and in this case a study of the principle of Good Will takes us deeper into the foundation of the law of right human relations.
Let us now look at the word itself, for its actual structure shows that it contains several different related aspects. First, will , second, the will-to-good , third, the good will , which is distinct from the first two. A study of each aspect is a help in explaining unexpected dimensions in the concept.
The energy of will
Will is a powerful energy—perhaps the most powerful in the universe. It is the first aspect of divinity, the aspect that most directly expresses or shows the true nature of that divinity. It has been said that humanity must come to recognize three forms of divinity, the first being that God is thought, intelligence, and the cosmic mind, which some in modern science have begun to recognize and even prove. The second is that God is love, which is an exceedingly great message in the higher religions, although this message is far from being practiced in general. The third is that God is will, and it must be said that this realization is still only in a state of development in humanity today. A more distant synthesizing realization would be that God is an intelligent, loving will —synthesizing in the sense that it contains the three aspects that humanity has hitherto known or suspected. There may be more, but for our purposes it is enough to strive to understand these three.
The synthesis is missing.
Unfortunately, humanity still lacks the synthesis—and even the harmony—of these three aspects. There is a great display of intelligence and much mental activity that contains no love and is often used for selfish purposes. There is much love in its emotional sense with little or no intelligence to enlighten and guide it. But most damaging of all is that there is so much will in humanity that is not loving at all and is used selfishly to achieve personal ends.
The extensive abuse of human power ranges from authoritarian individuals who exercise their willpower over their immediate circle of associates to strong leaders who hold an entire people in undeserved subjection with a heavy hand. In broad generalization, it can be said that the present sad state of humanity is mainly due to the fact that those who have will often do not have the will-to-good, and that those who have love do not have will or only to a limited extent have will – they are weak or fearful or lazy. Therefore, recognition of the will must be achieved by recognizing the purpose and direction in which the will is to be used. This should, of course, be towards good. In other words, in order to become constructive and not destructive, the will should be the will-to-good. This requires a fairly high level of development and true spiritual alertness, but the will-to-good should and can manifest itself through the personality, and when it does so, it is called the good will.
Areas where goodwill can be activated
These areas can be imagined as a series of concentric circles, with the individual in the middle. It may seem surprising that good will applied to oneself begins exactly where good will should begin. Although it may seem as if we direct too much good will towards ourselves, this is only true when we look at it superficially and when we are too indulgent with our weaknesses and impulses. There is a deeper aspect to the situation. When we indulge ourselves and make excuses, it is simply weakness and lack of will, and it is not really good will towards oneself. In fact, it is harmful, because by indulgence in ourselves we become our own enemy. For some people, there is a strange ambivalence: at the same time that they give in to their less praiseworthy desires as a result of their weakness of will, they also hide the fact that they are self-critical and dissatisfied with themselves. When this becomes strong enough, it can develop into a real guilt complex, which can consequently lead to self-hatred and self-punishment. It is thus clear that there is a need to use good will towards oneself.
This kind of enlightened goodwill primarily involves a courageous recognition of one’s own shortcomings and personality flaws – a recognition that one has arrived at in a very serious way. But on the other hand, one should not judge such flaws too harshly, for they are part of the ordinary “human condition,” and a constructive and successful way to deal with them is neither by repressing guilt and making excuses, nor by punishing oneself, but by seriously deciding to eliminate them, to overcome them, and to transform the personality. This decision requires a persistent and active goodwill.
The immediate family
Another circle contains our closest ones—our family members. It hardly seems necessary to emphasize how great a need there is for goodwill in the relationship between husband and wife and between parents and children.
The more distant “family”
Then come the ever-larger circles that contain daily contacts – the people with whom we work, shop and socialize, our neighbours, classmates and teachers.
The most distant “family”
Even larger circles encompass the collective realms of human relationships—communities, nations, continents, and finally humanity as a whole. In all these relationships we must remember the most important function, which is understanding. The effort to understand the people with whom we come into contact should be a constant, conscious practice, so that the necessary goodwill in interaction with them is built up and maintained.
A principle that should always be remembered and activated is that every creative change takes place from the inside out. It is the refinement of the will-to-good within us that gives the power and awakens the energy necessary to actively manifest the good will in our outer life.
All of these points are valuable subjects for meditation. The outline below may also be helpful in this regard.
Overview
I. What good will is:
A principle……………………………..A source of right human relations
A constructive energy……………….A magnetically attractive energy
God’s Will………………………………….A Positive Radiant Energy
An expression of the will-to-good….The will to bring about what should be
II. Effects of goodwill:
Stimulates right action…………………………..Promotes harmony and unity
Breaks down obstacles……………………………..transforms the atmosphere
Increases understanding……………………………..Contributes to solving problems
Facilitates the healing of individuals and social injustice
III. Ways of implementing the goodwill:
1. Cultivation of positive qualities such as:
Beauty…………………Generosity………………Love Community………………Gratitude……….Patience Mercy………..Harmlessness………………Equanimity Cooperation…………….Harmony………………….Silence Courage………………Humility……………….Simplicity Kindness……………….Joy…………………………..Understanding
Service Spirit
2. Elimination of obstacles such as:
Criticism………………………………Intolerance…………………indifference Offense……………………………Irritability………………….Rivalry Prejudice……………………………Hostility……………….Superiority Arrogance………………………….Self-centeredness………….Aggressiveness
Lack of sympathy and understanding
IV. Keywords for meditation:
May women and men of good will everywhere unite in a spirit of cooperation .
The principle of good will II
Goodwill is a familiar concept to all of us, and perhaps for some even so worn-out that it no longer seems magnetic or has the deeper meaning to arouse interest and enthusiasm. But what is the principle of goodwill? And why has it been called “the stepping stone that can change the world”?
The will to good – the good will
The deeper meaning of this principle becomes clearer when we understand good will as an expression of the “will-to-good.” Will is a fundamental initiating and driving force, whether it be the individual will or what is called “the will of God,” the great overall purpose. The will-to-good is the highest way in which the will can be used, and it is the truest direction it can have. This means that when the will is identified with the “greatest good” and with the intention of working toward that “good,” an undeniable redemptive force is set in motion.
Good will is an attitude that the will-to-good awakens, and it is an expression of this high identification with something greater than ourselves. It is a “saving force” that can be an aid in the solution of any problem, and it is also the easiest instrument we can equip ourselves with.
The will-to-good has been called “the magnetic seed for the future,” and this thought provides the key to why the principle of good will is one of the foundations of the meditation work of the new age.
Good will is contagious.
Another point of view is that goodwill is contagious. Once it has been expressed and experienced, the hearts of all whom it touches are illuminated, and they pass it on, so that its warmth finds new directions. But it can dry up, wither, and become ineffective when it is not nourished and nurtured. Here lies our personal obligation. It needs stimulation in order to grow, and this requires an inner effort – by recognizing its significance, by meditating on its significance as a principle, and by identifying with its “life” or energy. In this way it becomes not only something we should possess, but it becomes an inner motivating impulse that radiates from us and influences everything we undertake.
Good will as an active and positive factor
Finally, we should understand that the spirit of goodwill can create an atmosphere in which true cooperation can take place, and where problems can be solved and obstacles removed. Goodwill is more widespread than people realize, because it is mostly present, but only waiting to be released. This should be recognized, for when goodwill is elevated and applied, the world’s problems, whatever they may be, can be solved at the appropriate times. When goodwill becomes an active and positive factor in human affairs, it will lay the foundation for a new type of sensitivity – a new sense of direction for humanity. This will lead humanity into a time of fuller and richer understanding of its fellow men, and new relationships of trust will be established.
To arrive at a true realization of the value and significance of the fundamental principles to which goodwill belongs, one must develop one’s own thinking and construct one’s own concepts. For this purpose, the following “fundamental thoughts” are suggested. They are key words that contain a deeper meaning that will develop understanding as we meditate on them, and this will bring about a new flowering of goodwill in our lives and surroundings.
Consider the good will that –
The will to create what is right or should be.
Facilitator of good human relations,
A subjective factor that is “picked up” by others, and which can therefore quietly change a situation “behind the scenes” as well as in visible ways.
A characteristic of the large “group of interested parties”.
Try to see it as a fact that –
Determined efforts to practice goodwill can have an expanding effect on ourselves.
Practicing harmlessness can awaken the goodwill of others.
Good will can exist even when there is fundamental disagreement – good will is a harmonizing energy.
Good will only become dynamic when it is given the impulse to act, and when it is awakened to solve a problem, bridge a gap, or end a disagreement. Thus, good will become a dynamic and creative energy, released by the will-to-good in the heart…
” Goodwill is the stepping stone that can change the world .”
How to move forward
Here you can receive seven free meditations , one of which develops the will.
Also read the book The Psychology of Will for a complete introduction to the will.
