When these efforts fail, modern individuals typically point to a deficit of willpower. Society and the individuals themselves attribute this apparent weakness to a lack of moral fiber, inner strength, or self-discipline. People tend to blame themselves and harbor deep feelings of guilt for this perceived shortcoming, a cycle that gradually erodes self-esteem, personal integrity, and the fundamental sense of agency. However, psychological experts suggest that this failure is not merely a sign of a weak character. Instead, it points to a far more profound phenomenon rooted in the inner conflict between conscious intentions and deeper intentionality. The real underlying problem is that human beings are rarely of one single mind on these matters; they are, in essence, a house divided.
Will vs. Willpower
In the landscape of psychotherapy, exploring and discovering the human "will" remains a central pillar of effective treatment. Yet, when psychological frameworks use the term "will," they are referring to something distinct from what the average person means by "willpower." Psychoanalyst Otto Rank understood that the human will cannot avoid expression in some form or another. It is communicated either constructively or destructively, positively or negatively. When human will cannot find a productive or creative outlet, it turns neurotic or psychotic, manifesting destructively as what Rank termed "counter-will."
To understand this distinction, one must look at how pioneering theorists defined the will. Biographer and psychiatrist E.J. Lieberman described the will as representing the life center of the human being—something primal and ultimate. Another biographer, Jessie Taft, noted that the will is not merely the drive of a predominant instinct or a combination of instincts, but rather the central integration and expression of an individual’s forces that exceeds the sum of its parts.
So-called willpower is typically viewed as an expression of what people believe to be their true intentions. In reality, however, willpower frequently stems solely from the desires of the ego, the persona, or the conscious personality, because this is the part of the self with which individuals most strongly identify. Unfortunately, this superficial willpower is regularly sabotaged by the aspects of the psyche that remain unknown or hidden from conscious awareness—the unconscious. It is this hidden domain that undermines willpower, rendering it weak, impotent, and ultimately ineffective.
Otto Rank’s therapeutic approach, often seen as a precursor to modern existential therapy, sought to cultivate in clients the capacity to express their true will rather than relying on mere willpower. The goal has always been to channel that energy constructively and creatively into the world.
Intentions vs. Intentionality
One effective way to navigate this common psychological conundrum is to differentiate clearly between conscious intentions and deeper intentionality. Intentions consist of what individuals more or less consciously want or choose to do. Intentionality, by contrast, encompasses both conscious and unconscious drives combined.
Discerning and determining true intentionality is essential for anyone hoping to freely assert their will in a constructive manner. This process stands as one of the fundamental objectives in contemporary existential therapy. As renowned psychotherapist Rollo May observed, therapy should serve as a primary space for experiencing intentions alongside their implied actions and meanings, without demanding that the patient immediately translate them into overt behavior.
Patients require the opportunity to explore, experience, and verbally express both their conscious intentions and their unconscious intentionality within a safe therapeutic container and structure, rather than reflexively acting them out in the external world. Discerning this deeper layer of the will in any given situation serves as a mandatory prerequisite to determining how to handle it in outer reality.
"The Road to Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions"
The psychological significance of this age-old adage runs deep. While conscious intentions operate as direct expressions of the ego or persona, broader intentionality includes the primitive, primal desires, impulses, urges, and wishes that Sigmund Freud attributed to the id, Carl Jung associated with the shadow, or Rollo May categorized as the daimonic.
Frequently, this hidden intentionality initially surfaces as counter-will—acting as direct resistance or opposition to conscious intentions. An individual might want to say yes to a person or an opportunity, yet find themselves saying no instead. They intend to act in one specific way, but their actual behavior heads in the opposite direction. Cognition gets overruled by emotion, or vice versa, leaving people performing the polar opposite of what they consciously thought, felt, or said they wanted to do. The resulting consequences are often disastrous, leaving individuals scratching their heads and wondering what just happened.
While experiencing this dynamic is extremely confusing, frustrating, and humbling, it marks the true beginning of psychological wisdom. It forces individuals to acknowledge a startling truth: they are not the absolute masters of their own internal houses. Powerful, hidden forces operate beneath the surface of the mind, forces that frequently transcend and trump conscious intentions. It becomes clear that human beings are far more complex and complicated creatures than they initially assumed.
Exercising the Will of the Whole Person
Human will, while an innate human characteristic, must be actively discovered, discerned, refined, and creatively exercised, much like a muscle. According to theoretical frameworks established by thinkers like Rank, neurosis, counter-will, and the chronic lack of reliable willpower stem directly from an inability to know, accept, and direct one’s will constructively and consistently.
Discerning true intentionality means experiencing and discovering what a person truly wants, moving past what they merely think they want, feel they want, or even think they ought to want. It points directly to the will of the whole person. This holistic intentionality underpins—and frequently undermines—conscious intention precisely because it taps into the organic, instinctual wisdom of the unconscious mind and the physical body.
Regardless of whether true intentions and underlying intentionalities seem antithetical to a person’s idealized self-image, individuals must acknowledge and accept these disparate parts as belonging to themselves, working to reconcile them as best they can. The process of discovering and discerning this deeper intentionality demands both profound personal courage and unwavering integrity. Integrity, in this psychological context, can be understood as the true unity of the personality. It requires brutal honesty with oneself regarding both surface intentions and hidden motivations, confronting head-on what truly drives human behavior and what those drivers reveal about personal identity. While this pursuit is rarely easy and not always pleasant, it ultimately unlocks a capacity for genuine self-mastery and achievement that simple, rigid willpower could never attain.
