The Training of the Will

By Johann Lindworsky, S.J.

Just how weak is your will-power?

There are ways to find out, and Catholic methods to strengthen it. What's the difference between saints, heroes, other great achievers - and the rest of us? Not their natural gifts, but their acquired ability to focus their wills toward high aims, writes the distinguished psychologist (of the old school), Jesuit Johann Lindworsky.

A pioneer in the psychology of the will, Fr. Lindworsky penned many scholarly works, but nothing for the average layman until this popular book, designed to put his findings to practical use, was written in 1929.

But he had a second, vital purpose: to counteract dangerous writings in psychology that were luring Catholics into error. Grounded in sound science and Catholic principles, Fr. Lindworsky's wisdom is as timeless and effective as most modern "self-help" books are faddish and misleading.

Catholic ways to reach your full potential

• The essential difference between a strong and a weak will. How even otherwise "weak" men can accomplish great deeds
• Four conditions for successful action. Three necessary "stages" in every act of willing
• What sets the will in motion, and gives it strength? The most powerful motives are intellectual - and Christian
• Living up to resolutions. Where many of us fail
• What virtues do you most lack? They can be cultivated, and Fr. Lindworsky shows how
• Right and wrong ways to control our thoughts. Training the imagination
• What is the will? How it controls our thoughts, emotions and actions. Its role in actually acquiring physical and mental skills
• How faith alone provides sufficient power for all important resolutions. Why a "good" will is more important than "strong" will
• False theories of the will. How "common sense" is one with Catholic philosophy
• Wandering attention? Easily distracted? The secret of focusing
• Do you have a low threshold of discomfort? How to increase your capacity to endure hardship, on the way to overcoming obstacles
• The will as "switchman," "driver" and "field marshal" - Fr. Lindworsky's simple analogies help you grasp complex concepts
• The power of will: great examples of men who mastered themselves - and their weaknesses - to achieve great things for their families, their nations and God
• Tend to hesitate and miss your opportunities? Your problem diagnosed, cure prescribed
• Secrets of the Ignatian exercises: profound wisdom about training the will that anticipated modern psychology
• Overcoming sensual passions. How even the weakest person can succeed in warding off temptation
• The first rule for overcoming faults

Does Fr. Lindworsky's method work? "My means are infallible," he stated boldly when the book first appeared in 1929, but, "I cannot just hand them over to you. I can only say: Here, beneath this surface rock, gold is hidden; dig for it, doing your level best, and you shall surely find all you need for your life."
"Parents, teachers and others who have to deal with guiding and strengthening the wills of the young will especially profit." - America

Special section of practical suggestions to help you identify and overcome specific weaknesses

Paperback 1929

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