The Act of Will

by Roberto Assagioli

This is Dr. Roberto Assagioli's second book on the psychological system he formulated known as Psychosynthesis. It continues where his first book left off and delves into the important process of willing as a psychological function based on a higher self rather on guilt or determination as in the Victorian concept of the will.

Genres: Psychology, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Personal Development, Occult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Roberto Assagioli (born Roberto Marco Grego; 1888-1974) was an Italian psychiatrist and pioneer in the fields of humanistic and transpersonal psychology. Assagioli founded the psychological movement known as Psychosynthesis, which is still being developed today by therapists and psychologists, who practice the psychological methods and techniques he developed. His work, expounded in two books and many monographs published as pamphlets, emphasized the possibility of progressive integration, or synthesis, of the personality.

Assagioli did not like to discuss his personal life, as he preferred to be remembered for his scientific work. Very few biographical accounts on the life of Assagioli are available, and most are not written in English.

Assagioli came from a middle-class Jewish background. He was born under the name Roberto Marco Grego, however, his biological father died when Assagioli was two years old and his mother remarried to Alessandro Emanuele Assagioli soon afterward. Assagioli was exposed to many creative outlets at a young age, such as art and music, which were believed to have inspired his work in Psychosynthesis. By the age of 18, he had learned eight different languages, namely Italian (his native tongue), English, French, Russian, Greek, Latin, German, and Sanskrit. It was at this age he also began to travel, mainly to Russia, where he learned about social systems and politics.

In 1922 he married a young woman named Nella Ciapetti, and they had one son together, Ilario Assagioli.

In 1940, Assagioli was arrested and imprisoned by Benito Mussolini’s Fascist government, having been accused of "praying for peace and inviting others to join him along with other international crimes." [2] He was placed in a solitary cell in Regina Coeli prison for 27 nights until he was released and returned to his family. During World War II, his family’s farm in Florence, Italy was destroyed, and both he and his family went into hiding in the Catenaia Alps (in the province of Arezzo) and in the Upper Tiber Valley. His son died at the age of 28 from lung disease, which was accredited to severe stress from the harsh living conditions during the war. Once the war ended, he returned to his work and began his legacy, known as Psychosynthesis.

The years after the war were relatively calm, and it was during this time that he founded various foundations dedicated to Psychosynthesis in Europe and North America. Assagioli lived a long and prosperous life and had a happy forty year marriage until he died at age 86 on 23 August 1974. The cause of his death was unknown.

Reviews

[Will Holcomb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book just because of the very cool name. It floated around in my computer bag for a month or so. I finally started reading it and am blown away with it so far. It deals a lot with Maslow's hierarchy if needs. For a random book I picked up for silly reasons at Half Price Books I couldn't ask for more. I found a copy of Assagioli's "Psychosynthesis" at Half Price books. I am going to read that next and then re-read "The Act of Will"

[Flan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was written in the early 70s and reflects some ideas that are dated. His perspective is that will has seven qualities and if we develop each quality we can use our will for growth. It's worth the read, but I found myself filling in with new information that may temper some of his concepts.

[Kirtida Gautam · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book. It talks how free will plays a part in the psychological make up of a person.

[Don Stuber · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a excellent book. It goes through how free will plays a part in the psychological development and inclinations of a person.

[Bradley Topelli Tytyro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il maestro della psicosintesi. Libro utile a tutti.

[anarcho · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full of meandering, long-winded explanations and rambling prose. There are occasional glimpses of insight and surprisingly practical advice, but much of it is buried under the aforementioned lexical rubble. The different types of will and the stages of an act of will are described in-depth, and many of Assagioli’s influences and peers are highlighted. It’s just a shame that the useful parts need to be patiently excavated.

[Jimmy Navotni · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an amazing book from the founder of Psychosynthesis. As his other book, this one, too, is a clear and comprehensive statement of how important the will in our life is. Again, both practical and theoretical aspects have been mentioned.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The different dimensions of the human will and how one can use the will to be more self aware because will goes along with one's existence or the 'I'.

[Dar Dontpanic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Illuminating lecture

[Emlyn Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating trip to self actualisation philosophy and psychology for any Abraham Maslow fan

[Jmp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text book study of "The Will". Very thorough but boring n the best way of 1970's textbooks.

[Yates Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kind of psychology book with a unique perspective on the person as the result of conscious Will. And the Will itself is multifaceted aspect of personality that can be grown for fulfillment in its many different dimensions.

While the text is a bit dry, some of the ideas were very new to me and eye opening, I am surprised to not have come across this book earlier.

[Cristian Keller]

A mio parere libro estremamente complesso. E secondo me, dedicato solo a professionisti del settore (psicologia). L'ho letto ma non credo di essere in grado di dare un giudizio. Difatto c'erano diverse frasi che necessitavano più riletture per essere realmente capite. Mi è sembrato molto tecnico e molto profondo (psicologicamente parlando).

[Jenny Montgomery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bringing forth the notions of transpersonal and universal will and their alignment with the willing Self was the most exciting aspect of the book. Practical exercises and experiential work strengthens his presentation and can make this an action-oriented approach for therapists and their clients. Clear, enjoyable writing. Relevance for magic and sorcery.

[Armastan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Het werk, vertaald in het Nederlands (Over de wil) sprak mij zeker aan en er zijn ook relevante en praktische oefeningen om uit te voeren. Momenteel vindt het echter niet de nodige resonantie om hier op deze manier mee aan de slag te gaan. Het prikkelt wel om dit boek in de toekomst nog eens vast te pakken om te zien of ik er dan meer mee kan.

[Alessandro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fondamentale per modellare al meglio la propria vita presente e futura

[Will Project · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Act of Will is a book that was potentially before it's time. Many of the ground-breaking ideas that Assagioli proposed are now a standard part of most life coaching methodologies. However, Assagioli takes things further, and provides the basis for a much deeper understanding of the willed act than most modern sources provide.

At the end of the Historical Survey (Appendix 4), Assagioli really hits the mark. He points out "that attempts to solve the problem of the will on theoretical, intellectualistic lines have led not only to no solution but to contradiction, confusion, and bewilderment." He then suggests that the starting point to producing useful and practical results is through "the direct, existential experience of willing, unhampered by preconceived notions."

Practicing the various exercises and being mindful of the act of willing will lead to an experiential understanding of the will and how to use it for personal growth, finding inner peace, and working towards self-actualization and self-realization.