With youth: Is willpower really needed?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Questioner (Q): Acharya Ji, how to improve willpower?

Acharya Prashant (AP): So, what has Aditya (the questioner) asked? “What can we do, to improve willpower?” Right?

What is ‘willpower’, and why do we need it? What is ‘willpower’?

Listener 1 (L1): To have determination.

AP: To have determination. Determination, for what?

L1: For our goal.

AP: For our goal. To do (stressing on the word ‘do’) something. Right? To ‘do’ something. You need willpower in order that something happens, that something gets done, right? Now, why does something not get done? We often find that we are unable to act, to do (again stressing the word ‘do’).

Why are we unable to act, and ‘do’?

L1: Because of fear.

L2: Because of restrictions.

AP: Fear. Restrictions.

If fear is there, if restrictions are there, and you give them importance, then obviously you cannot act.

And when you cannot act, then you get up and say that you need willpower.

So, willpower is needed only when you feel fear, only…