Unlike the abstract philosophy of contemporaries like Nietzsche, Aubanel’s concept of Will Power was brutally practical. He argued that will was not a mystical force, but a muscle—specifically, the "mental bicep" that required daily, painful reps to grow.
In his 1884 pamphlet, Aubanel described his rehabilitation. Bedridden and depressed, he began a regimen. Every morning, he would attempt to wiggle the toes of his deadened leg. For months, nothing happened. Doctors called it nerve damage. Aubanel called it a lack of signal. He wrote:
"The body obeys the mind only when the mind shouts without pause. I shouted for 120 days. On the 121st, my toe moved. That is not a miracle. That is Will Power." will power edward aubanel
This phrase—"Will Power"—was not coined by Aubanel, but he was the first to treat it as a tangible, trainable asset. His pamphlet circulated quietly among sailors and soldiers, but it was not until an American psychologist named William James reviewed Aubanel’s work in 1890 that the term entered the academic lexicon.
Before diving into the concept, a quick note on the man himself. Edward Aubanel (often referenced in early 20th-century self-development and philosophical circles) was not a mainstream psychologist like William James, but rather a synthesist—someone who blended Stoic discipline, Eastern mindfulness, and Western practical ethics. His key insight was that will power is not about constant tension, but about alignment. "The body obeys the mind only when the
Aubanel famously wrote:
“The weak-willed man fights himself daily. The strong-willed man has no battle left, because he has chosen his war once, and well.” This phrase—"Will Power"—was not coined by Aubanel, but
This distinction is crucial. For Aubanel, will power wasn’t gritting your teeth against temptation every single moment. It was the prior act of deciding what matters—and then structuring your life so that will power becomes almost invisible.
This is the ability to initiate action—to start the difficult task, to make the call you’ve been avoiding, to put on your running shoes. Aubanel argued that most people fail not because they can’t resist temptation, but because they can’t begin. Directive will is a muscle that must be exercised with small, daily commitments.
