If there's a will there's a way.

[laladopi]

"If there's a will there's a way"

What do you make of this saying? What is it based on?

[swarm]

Perseverance often finds success.

[cosmictraveler]

Make certain that you are included in as many peoples wills as you can, that way you'll receive something when they die. You just have to out live them. ;)

[scorpius]

"If there's a will there's a way"

What do you make of this saying? What is it based on?
its incorrect ,should go like this:

if theres a will I want to be in it!
:D

[shorty_37]

"If there's a will there's a way"

What do you make of this saying? What is it based on?

I have used this saying a lot. I am really stubborn and will not give up on something until I have tried everything no matter how long it takes me.

[SkinWalker]

I'm not sure why this is in Religion -it might be better served in Linguistics.

[laladopi]

Goodness! I'm referring to the human will, as in if you have a will is there a way for you to be able to find god after death, but if you must move it!

[swarm]

Goodness! The saying has nothing to do with your god beliefs.

[laladopi]

Swarm I don't appreciate your inability to control yourself from scrutinizing me.
Do not judge me on my spirituality because you have no idea to the extent which I believe.

[one_raven]

Swarm I don't appreciate your inability to control yourself from scrutinizing me.
Do not judge me on my spirituality because you have no idea to the extent which I believe.

He didn't.
He was talking about the origins of the phrase.

[SkinWalker]

The origin of the phrase seems to be from Jacula Prudentum, by George Herbert (1641). The text is commonly called Outlandish Proverbs. Many of the proverbs he lists have Judeo-Christian connotations, but the majority are intuitive and often poignantly insightful. Here's a quote from page 466 of Herbert, which I'll link to in Google Books below and, which includes the progenitor of the phrase at hand: Great businesses turn on a little pin.
The wind in one's face makes one wise.
All the arms of England will not arm fear.
One sword keeps another in the sheath.
Be what thou wouldst seem to be.
Let all live as they would die.
A gentle heart is tied with an easy thread.
Sweet discourse makes short days and nights.
God provides for him that trusteth.
He that will not have peace, God gives him war.
To him that will ways are not wanting.
To a great light a great lanthorn.
To a child all weather is cold. Where there is peace God is.
None is so wise but the fool overtakes him.
Fools give to please all but their own.
Prosperity lets go the bridle.
The friar preached against stealing, and had a goose in his sleeve.
To be too busy gets contempt.
February makes a bridge and Mach breaks it.
A horse stumbles that hath four legs.
The best smell is bread, the best savor salt, the best love that of children.

A later use of the proverb shows up in 1822 in an essay written by William Hazlitt in which he uses the proverb word for word and implies that it was in common use at the time: Where there's a will, there's a way. — I said so to myself, as I walked down Chancery lane, about half-past six o'clock on Monday the 10th of December, to inquire at Jack Randall's where the fight the next day was tc be; and I found the proverb nothing "musty" in the present instance. I was determined to see this fight, come what would, and see it I did, in great style.

There are many other instances of the phrases use as a popular proverb in the 1870s, a work of English Literature titled, For Purcival was published in The Cornhill Magazine in 1878 and one of this short stories chapters was carried the heading "Where there's a will there's a way."

Like the theme of this chapter, the proverb describes the human concept of agency -that belief that one can overcome deterministic factors and structures and, thus, make one's own destiny no matter how great the odds against. One need only have enough faith in one's self or one's self-determination to reach a point of perseverance.

Herbert, George (1881). The Works of George Herbert in Prose and Verse: Edited from the Latest Editions, with Memoir, Explanatory Notes, Etc (http://books.google.com/books?id=HXAYAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA466&vq=%22to+him+that+will%22&dq=outlandish+proverbs&source=gbs_search_s&cad=0#PPA466,M1). New York: John Wurtele Lovell.

This is a compendium of Herbert's works, the original was published in 1641, but I chose this text since it had a Google Books link.

William Hazlitt (1857). Original Essays On Men and Manners (http://books.google.com/books?id=4aQIAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA236&dq=Hazlitt+Where+there%27s+a+will,+there%27s+a+way&ei=1L0pSYj2CZeUM_WH7ZsL). fourth edition. edited by his son vol. i. London: c. Templeman, & great Portland street.

In this text, the original essay was also written much earlier in New Monthly Magazine in 1822, but the collection in the above link is interesting.

[Ophiolite]

I hope now laladopi that you can see that your use of the phrase, while it may be important to you and be internally consistent, does not match the accepted usage.
(Please note the references to legal wills by some posters were what we call jokes.)
If I may also point out in passing there is absolutely nothing in SkinWalker's detailed post that you could not have found for yourself - had you had the will.

[Fraggle Rocker]

If I may also point out in passing there is absolutely nothing in SkinWalker's detailed post that you could not have found for yourself - had you had the will.But then the rest of us wouldn't have been party to the research and we wouldn't now know the origin of the cliche.

Nonetheless I know what you mean. We do have a few members who use SciForums as a substitute for Wikipedia. But it hasn't gotten out of hand. And I often find the questions, though elementary, interesting enough to post an elementary answer for the whole membership.

[laladopi]

I don't really think anyone understands why I post like I do.
I find it frustrating that I am unable to get across my thoughts, leaving me with people second guessing my "mental capabilities." writing isn't my strong point, speaking is. I am only 18 and wrong most of the time, but once I learn something new, whether it sparks a new train of thought or an interest I am grateful for being corrected, I just need an explanation to settle. I appreciate the fact that you (skinwalker) took your time to answer my question and I now realize that it belongs in linguistics for its english roots rather than religion, based on the english roots where there before the religion.