The will is commendable though the ability may be wanting.
—Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) (c.43 BCE–c.18 CE) Roman Poet
Our bodies are our gardens—our wills are our gardeners.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men. It is the spirit of men who follow and of the man who leads that gains the victory.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
To deny the freedom of the will is to make morality impossible.
—James Anthony Froude (1818–94) British Historian, Novelist, Biographer, Editor
Nothing can withstand the power of the human will if it is willing to stake its very existence to the extent of its purpose.
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–90) American Political Leader, Inventor, Diplomat
The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the rest willing to let them.
—Robert Frost (1874–1963) American Poet
Willpower is your ability to set a course of action and say, “Engage!”
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
Willpower is the spearhead of self-discipline.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
In oratory the will must predominate.
—David Hare (b.1947) English Dramatist, Director, Film-Maker
Will it, and set to work briskly.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
He who is firm in will molds the world to himself.
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) German Poet
A person who is wise does nothing against their will, nothing with sighing or under coercion.
—Cicero (106BCE–43BCE) Roman Philosopher, Orator, Politician, Lawyer
Above all, we must realize that no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is so formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women. It is a weapon our adversaries in today’s world do not have.
—Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) American Head of State
When the will is ready the feet are light.
—Common Proverb
What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that’s another matter.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
When a man’s willing and eager the god’s join in.
—Aeschylus (525–456 BCE) Greek Playwright
The education of the will is the object of our existence.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
No action will be considered blameless, unless the will was so, for by the will the act was dictated.
—Seneca the Younger (Lucius Annaeus Seneca) (c.4 BCE–65 CE) Roman Stoic Philosopher, Statesman, Tragedian
All things must; man is the only creature that wills.
—Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) German Poet, Dramatist
Don’t let your will roar when your power only whispers.
—Thomas Fuller (1608–61) English Cleric, Historian
Will springs from the two elements of moral sense and self-interest.
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–65) American Head of State
Willingness is essential in any initiation or in making an dream come true. “I can’t” often means “I won’t.” You can change “I won’t” to “I will” with willpower.
—Marcia Wieder
The will is deaf and hears no heedful friends.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
Willpower is a concentration of force. You gather up all your energy and make a massive thrust forward.
—Steve Pavlina (b.1971) American Motivational Speaker
Will localizes us; thought universalizes us.
—Henri Frederic Amiel (1821–81) Swiss Moral Philosopher, Poet, Critic
It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.
—Douglas MacArthur (1880–1964) American Military Leader
God is not willing to do everything, and thus take away our free will and that share of glory which belongs to us.
—Niccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) Florentine Political Philosopher
Man has will, but woman has her way.
—Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. (1809–94) American Physician, Essayist
Will minus intellect constitutes vulgarity.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher