Definitions HQ

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a surging, impersonal force that runs through everything, fashioning us and our desires.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠able to conquer even death. It does this by means of reproduction, which is why reproduction is the strongest instinct and is placed almost entirely beyond control of knowledge or reflection.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an impersonal force that drives all existence. It doesn't belong to us, nor does it have our interests at stake. It seeks its own expression, but it doesn't seek our own happiness.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠focused on reproduction because it is the genitals alone that enable the will to pass beyond the individual, ensuring it endless life.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠implicit, in its entirety, in each individual in that there is no deed, however so humble, which does not implicate universal history and the infinite concatenation of causes and effects.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠led by the intellect only in the way that a master is led by his guide.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠manifested as all those mysterious forces that we fail to recognize are in fact instantiations of will: Force, gravity, affinity, repulsion, attraction, combination, decomposition, magnetism, electricity, gravity, and crystallization. The force which draws the lover, and the force which draws the planet, are one.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not a form of force, rather force is a form of will.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not reasoning, but an irrational, unconscious urge, in relation to which the intellect represents a secondary phenomenon. The will is actually the force at the core of all reality.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠one and indivisible, objectified in the world with all its phenomena such that the alteration between death and reproduction in the individual is but the pulse-beat of the species, and the species itself is related to all other ideas as harmony is related to the single voice.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠prior to intellect but carries a similar appearance to intellect when manifest as instinct. When a young dog fears to jump down from the table... it foresees the effect of the fall not by reasoning (for it has no experience of such a fall) but by instinct.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠such that a man can surely do what he wills to do, but he cannot determine what he wills.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠such that all of humanity is in fact a single act of will with each human as merely an instance and aspect of that act.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠such that in any given moment of your life you can will only one definite thing and absolutely nothing other than that one thing.

The Will's (n.) existence ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is confirmed by the fact that we have inner, first-person experience of it. We experience ourselves from the inside as not just a bundle of appearances but an existence that struggles and surges and clings to survival.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the 'key' to the nature of all things. It operates as both an ontological and an epistemic principal.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the aimless desire to perpetuate itself, the basis of life.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the force underlying everything such that the force which draws the lover, and the force which draws the planet, are one.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the only permanent and unchangeable element.

The Will (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the thing-in-itself... aimless, blind striving.