Do you agree that one can overcome anything will a strong will (details inside)

Nah.

Not in the least.

Cancer cannot be overcome by willpower.

Serious mental illness like schizophrenia cannot be overcome by willpower.

In my own life, my willpower could not overcome alcoholism.

@bob_ could you clarify why? If someone came to you and told you that, what would your argument be?

@Hawaii_Jake the people who hold that belief don’t think of physical illness like cancer, but they do think of the pain the illness causes. They believe you have to have a strong will to overcome the pain.

Mental illness, however, is the matter of will to them. The reasoning is that it wouldn’t happen if you didn’t spend time thinking about your problem in the first place.

If someone came to you and told you what I said, and then said you just lack willpower for not being able to overcome your alcoholism. Maybe you just don’t even want to give up. What would you say to them? What would your argument be?

Disclaimer: this is not an attack on anyone with real problems. This is what some people have told me throughout my youth when I complained about something. I just want to hear your opinions about this.

@Mimishu1995 I would not waste my time talking to them. I would state emphatically that they’re wrong and then turn around and walk away. It is useless to argue with people like that.

I think I have a strong will, but I just can’t overcome being bisexual.

To be honest though, I like it and I’m not really trying.

Besides that, no matter what I think about the weather it still happens.

So no. A determined mind is a great thing – but it’s not everything. You still need an umbrella, friends who understand, and health insurance.

No. Just because you think you’re something doesn’t make it so.

No, to meet every situation with equanimity you would have to turn yourself to stone and a block of stone can’t overcome anything.

You are not going to will your amputated leg into growing back.
“Flaring up your Ki” to withstand a nuclear explosion is not a real thing, either.

This attitude is often used as dismissive and diminishing, mostly by people who embrace “sound bite psychology” without actually considering the perspective of the person (people) affected.
Even discounting the physical issues, to declare that emotional and psychological distress is the fault of a lack of a “strong will” is mean and petty.

Problems are not meant to just be ignored. They are to be faced and learned from.
You have to face everything in order to work through whatever you are dealing with.
Anger, sadness, glee, love, arrogance, self-righteousness, compassion, fear, impatience, generosity, greed, selfishness— no matter what you may be feeling, learn to appreciate every encounter with every emotion as information that will serve you if you see it for what it is, an alert that some aspect of you needs your attention.
Think about how narrow your life would be if you were content all the time or ignored things. No bumps or pokes to ensure your ongoing development.
Growth is something we’re all hardwired to need, whether we like it or not.

I have known many strong willed people who did have the ability to overcome pain. I’m not one of those people though. My dad always told me that I could overcome anything if I tried hard enough. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. When it didn’t work he said it was because I didn’t “really” try and that I had only “wanted” it to work and should have “made” it work. I’ve noticed that only those “with the ability” seem to think that it is possible. As an adult, I just do the best that I can do

@SEKA so does that mean the people who don’t have the ability should be ashamed of themselves and it is ok for people who have the ability to shame them?

No. No matter how positive a person’s thoughts may be, some things are, literally, impossible.

No, absolutely not, any more than being able to ‘be anything you want as long as you try hard enough’ is true. I’ll never be many things, not because I don’t want to, but because I, personally, lack the ability. Aside from the fact that I have no interest, I’ll never be president, which is something that many 1950’s parents told their kids they could do.

Of course not.

@Mimishu1995 Absolutely not! I don’t believe anyone should ever be shamed for something that was born into them. Along the way, there were times that I did “tap into” the ability; but never became proficient enough to be able to use it on “command”. My lack of shame is the reason I said that I just do the best that I can do. If my best effort doesn’t obtain the desired results then I know that I did my best that time. Maybe next time will be more successful

Nope. If you believe it, review your list of those who’ve successfully managed to will away old age or death.

@Mimishu1995 I’d say “homie, you trippin’”, then I’d encourage them to read all of the examples mentioned in this thread.

Absolutely not. There are millions of things that you can’t do by will alone. There are all kinds of obstacles that can’t be overcome, even if you want it “badly enough”.

Some examples:

There can only be one winner in a particular Olympic sport. That is the whole point. One person’s skills, luck, and every circumstance that happens on that exact day, and exact time, will lead to one person being just slightly better, or faster, even though many people could potentially be strong enough, or skilled enough on other days. Most elite athletes of a particular sport are at a similar skill level, but only one person will win in any particular competition.

People don’t choose their genetic background, and can’t choose all of the zillions of cellular interactions that can lead to, or prevent disease. There are too many variables and unknowns.

You can’t control how other people react to or feel about you.

No. Mental/emotional health problems sometimes have a physical component. For example, if someone has mood swings because of a hormonal issue, no amount of willpower will overcome that.

I have a firm belief that a strong mind/will can overcome many things. But not everything. If someone has a chemical imbalance, for instance, that is causing them to suffer from delusions, that is not something I believe the mind can overcome on its own. But recognizing that something is wrong IS something the mind can overcome.