On Developing an Independent Will
It is rare to meet a person with truly independent thoughts. By independent I mean the freedom to express oneself, to tackle the arguments of others, to not conform to every popular thing around. It is also rare to meet a person with a strong will, one whose being isn’t shackled to the “ways of the world”. Combining these two capabilities together, we are presented with a person who is confident in their thoughts, but also in their being.
With that being said, we must try to establish the possibility of becoming such a person ourselves. An independent will is not something that just appears, but rather it is built, gradually forming out of the fires of adversity. In order to be confident in what we say, we must know what we’re talking about. It is the same for the will — if we know how to demonstrate grace in our being, particularly in right action, then we are more likely to be independent. The will does not need to know how OTHERS conduct themselves — it simply needs to understand, usually through experience, how to best act.
We are in control of our willpower. Regardless of what the world throws our way, we are able to handle it. When we submit ourselves to negative thoughts, it is because our will is becoming dependent again. This self-submission is not always in our control — I admit this — but it is always something we are witness to, and our actions will ultimately determine the outcome. The main point is to separate reality from fiction, and to realize that we need nothing more than ourselves to be meaningful. Once we are able to see a challenge and believe we can overcome it, the will does the rest of the work. An independent will is one that already KNOWS what it must do, but simply has to put in the work to do it. No outside influence can determine that.
If we are led to believe, for example, that conforming to group identities and widely held beliefs will help us feel independent, then we are probably being manipulated somehow. In such a case, we are sacrificing our own thoughts and willpower in exchange for something much larger, something much more foreign to us, likely because of the desire for acceptance. Unfortunately, this desire for acceptance is largely harmful to our independence — we are led to believe that the safety of the group will shield us from harm, when in fact we are making ourselves MORE vulnerable to harm. The risk of shame, ostracism, and manipulation from a group is much higher than desirable, and it makes us doubt the possibility of having our own thoughts, or it gaslights us into thinking that our thoughts must match those of the group. There’s no good that comes out of conformity — it is merely the way societies usually keep artificial cohesion. But ultimately, we must conform to ourselves, and to the principles we set forth. We have to form them out of our own wisdom.
Furthermore, the peace of mind one gets when they don’t have to accommodate others is wonderful. One cannot possibly hope to be free if their will is not their own — after all, how many people in our lives judge us based on their own preconceptions and expectations? How many ‘friends’ do we end up shedding because of how they attempt to control our thoughts and feelings? Thus, the independent will is not merely one that thinks for itself, but it is one that can recognize manipulation, power plays, and empty words. A truly willful person is free from the ‘mass psychosis’ of modern life. There is much distress that comes out of people-pleasing and competing with others — it falsely ascribes value to something external, when all the work must be done internally. It is a spiritual position, one of self-awareness. If you are not able to believe in yourself, fight yourself until you are truly able to. No one will be able to properly show you the way, since they are searching too. It’s humbling to realize that many of us are striving for independence.
To-wit, this position might not be for everyone. Not everyone is open to having their will trained and expanded — we must be considerate of the fact that people’s lives are often shaped by factors far outside of their control. We must first try to apply the logic of will-development to our own lives, and test whether we can sustainably live this way. I call to the people who are unhappy, who feel overburdened by the inevitability of ‘other minds’, and I ask them to consider the possibility of freedom. I too have grappled with this issue for many years, and I will not rest until my mind and will are fully my own. Only then will I know what it means to be free.
Thank you.
