Will someone to do something

Question

I know it's OK to use will with a reflective pronoun:

I willed myself to remember her name.

He willed himself to work.

But is it possible to will not self? -

I willed him to work.

He willed her to remember his name.

You need to format it such that it is *clear* what is literal and what is not. — Peter Mortensen, Apr 10 '21 at 20:07

Mari-Lou A · Answer 1 · 2021-04-10T13:00:35.933

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I've seen poetic, literary statements similar to the examples the OP mentioned.

In phrases such as "I willed myself to remain awake" and "He willed to cling onto the edge of the cliff despite his arms aching” the subject and the object is the same person, they are calling upon their willpower to control their behaviour or destiny likewise we can desperately desire or wish another person or inanimate object does or tries to do the thing we ask.

Lexico says

[with object and infinitive] Make or try to make (someone) do something or (something) happen by the exercise of mental powers.

‘reluctantly he willed himself to turn and go back’

[formal, literary with object] Intend, desire, or wish (something) to happen.

‘their friendship flourished particularly because Adams willed it’

Quite often, "to will someone (or something) to do something" is used as a rhetorical device, akin to praying for a miracle, e.g.

She willed him to breathe
Giulia willed him to turn and look back, but he kept on walking.
They willed their child back from the brink of death.
She stared into the fog, willing it to clear
We willed the sun to come out.

From the net:

Jason willed him to pay attention. "Come on man. Get on the ball. This is important. We got to face that guard."
I said that of late Lord Becham sent her a letter and, lest she should feed herself with vain hopes, willed her to look at it .
Cancer victim Carmen Bailerin lived 12 years longer than docs thought possible because her devoted husband willed her to, say experts.
“a possible life is one that wills the impossible.”

I think in the hands of a skilled writer it can be a powerful tool but used in an everyday situation, such as someone asking for a loan or to borrow the car it will sound peculiar.

edited Apr 10 '21 at 13:00

answered Apr 10 '21 at 07:12

Mari-Lou A

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You can will things to happen (not just people to do things) - he willed the bell to ring and let him out of that classroom. She willed the train to pick up speed, but it merely sauntered. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 07:41
Okay, I see your answers from the net, but IMO 1 and 2 are appallingly bad writing. 3 and 4 are okay because they are using the rhetorical, poetic, superstitious-lunatic form of "will", that reference some hypothetical force of telepathy. 1 is bad because it should be nagged, cajoled, etc. 2 is just bad writing generally. – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:43
@MichaelHarvey good point. Thank you. I'll will edit and include that note but it'll have to wait b/c I'm quite busy now. – Mari-Lou A Apr 10 '21 at 07:44
@MichaelHarvey I see your point, but that's exactly what Mari-Lou A says in the first part of her answer. But the point being made is that you can't actually get something to happen just by "willing" it to. I think OP's question is about whether you can use "will" in the sense of "persuade" or whatever. – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:45
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@PrimeMover you're confusing the laws of physics with the English language. The two are not interchangeable. – Mari-Lou A Apr 10 '21 at 07:47
@Mari-LouA The point is that (see my reply to Michael Harvey's comment on my own answer) OP specifically wants to know whether you can use "will" in the transitive sense to mean the actual process of getting someone to do what they want. My contention is that this is incorrect -- and that it's bad writing to use it in that sense. – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:52
@PrimeMover - It is trivially true that we can't make something happen merely by mentally wishing it to. That doesn't mean that JK Rowling was wrong (in my example above) to make Harry Potter will the end-of-lesson bell to ring. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 07:59
@MichaelHarvey I'm not saying it is wrong in that context. What I'm saying is that it's wrong in the context of what OP is saying, that is: to will in the sense of to actually get someone to do what you want them to. What are you disagreeing with that I'm missing? (As for JKR, she writes by assembling a great long sequence of cliches.) – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 08:03
@PrimeMover "As for JKR, she writes by assembling a great long sequence of cliches" - we agree on this, at least! – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 08:17
@PrimeMover - we don't know that the OP's speaker succeeded in remembering 'her name', or that the other person got himself to work. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 08:20
@MichaelHarvey And again, I can't work out what it is about what I wrote that you are disagreeing with. You seem to be saying the same thing that I am. What am I missing? – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 08:33
@PrimeMover I don't see anything in the OP's question that leans towards being about whether you can use "will" in the sense of "persuade". That's all. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 08:50
@MichaelHarvey Oh okay, good call. – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 08:51

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 10 '21 at 13:15

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While perhaps technically correct, this would be a very uncommon usage and would not make sense to most native English speakers. Use "make" (without the infinitive), or "force" (with the infinitive) instead:

I MADE myself remember her name. He MADE himself work.

I FORCED myself to remember her name. He FORCED himself to work.

I MADE him work. He MADE her remember his name.

I FORCED him to work. He FORCED her to remember his name.

answered Apr 10 '21 at 13:15

JasonR

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We have italics and bold on this *platform*. There isn't any need to capitalise words. You can edit your answer (change it). – Peter Mortensen Apr 10 '21 at 20:08

Barmar · Answer 3 · 2021-04-11T16:29:08.227

Under normal conditions you can only will yourself to do anything. This is not a grammatical issue, it's simply because "will" means to do something purely with your mind, and your mind can normally only control your own actions directly.

However, in science fiction, fantasy, or religious stories about people with supernatural powers, it's possible to extend the use of this word. If someone has telekinesis, they can move objects with their mind. In this case, we could say:

He willed the teacup into his hand.

or

He willed the car to start.

And if someone has the psychic ability to control other people, we could say:

John willed James to punch himself.

You can also use phrases like this figuratively in ordinary life to express strong desires, in situations where you wished you had the above abilities. So if you're playing a card game, you might say

I willed him to play the ace, and miraculously it worked!

I would extend your genres to pretty well all fiction, or not-fiction involving use of metaphors. Just because someone wills something and it happens doesn't mean there is a causal link. Likewise you can will your car to start and it still not start, no special powers involved. — Pete Kirkham, Apr 11 '21 at 00:20
@PeteKirkham Thanks, I added an example of the figurative sense. — Barmar, Apr 11 '21 at 16:29

score 1 · Answer 4 · edited Apr 11 '21 at 06:47

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If the "willing" is known to the object (rather than just an internal desire from the subject), I would opt to use the verb compel:

1: to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly
Hunger compelled him to eat.
The general was compelled to surrender.

2: to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure
Public opinion compelled her to sign the bill.

edited Apr 11 '21 at 06:47

Eddie Kal

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answered Apr 11 '21 at 05:04

Drake P

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score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Apr 10 '21 at 06:42

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No it's not, because you can't get someone else to do something by force of will.

Just by wanting something to happen does not make it so. However, these sentences make it sound as though this is what is going on.

If you want to get someone to do something, you ask them or persuade them.

answered Apr 10 '21 at 06:42

Prime Mover

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So, it's not a synonym for "make someone to do"? – user1425 Apr 10 '21 at 06:44
@user1425 not in my universe. You may use the construct "want someone to do something" but it expresses only the desire in the mind, unless it is voiced, which then needs to be stated. – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:38
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You can vainly will something to happen, a bus to come, a noise to stop, You can try to make something happen by the power of your mind. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 07:42
@MichaelHarvey The way I understand the intent of the question, you can't use "will" in the sense of "persuade", because it does not mean that. "Will" in the transitive sense purely means "want" or "wish" and (emphatically and specifically) does not express any actual action to get it to happen (where here "action" includes "speech"). – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:50
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See Cambridge Dictionary - will verb (MAKE HAPPEN) [ + obj + to infinitive ] - If you will something to happen, you try to make it happen by the power of your thoughts. – Michael Harvey Apr 10 '21 at 07:55
@MichaelHarvey Yes, that's exactly what I've been saying -- is there a nuance that I'm missing here? – Prime Mover Apr 10 '21 at 07:58

Will someone to do something

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