Is grit and determination a matter of the mind or of the heart? That depends if you were answering scientifically metaphorically, socially, spiritually, or some other means.

Mind over matter is a popular expression about using the mind to overcome physical, emotional, instinctual, or other human limitations, with willpower. Technically, the method does work through the brain that controls our ability to sense limitations and decide what to do about them. However, to many, willpower belong with emotions and the domain of the metaphorical heart. That’s where we got the English idiom of someone having a lot of heart. You’re asking people to fight emotion with emotion, not use cold rationalization to justify why they should ignore some feeling telling them they must do something else. It’s all emotional appeal to them, with me included among them. So to suit my perspective, I have changed the mind over matter idiom to what I deem to be the more correct version of heart over matter. This, is what I tell myself any time I need to draw on willpower to overcome anything.

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This post is one of 70 quotes I wrote, each with an accompanying essay, in my e-book and paperback Stars I Put in my Sky to Live By, on Amazon or Smashwords (choose your price including free!).