We are empowered by remembering to distinguish what “shall” happen from what “will”
I’ve recently come to believe that a lot of the anxiety we experience comes from modern English’s disuse of the word “shall” (except in legal contexts, which is not most of life).
It used to be that we would use the word “shall” for first-person speech, about matters where we have agency (“I shall take out the garbage”). The word “will” was used for speaking in the third person, about matters where we do not have agency (“He will take out the garbage”).
In modern English, the word “will” is used for both the first and third person. This causes us to blur the line between matters that we do and do not have control over.
When you ask yourself “What will happen?” you are asking yourself about matters where you have no agency. So, it’s entirely appropriate to ask “Will it rain?” or “What decision will they make?” But when you ask yourself “Will I take out the garbage today?” you are neglecting the agency that you have.
Instead, by asking yourself “What shall happen?” you are narrowing your focus to matters that are within your control. In the endeavour to live a relaxed and empowered life, this narrowing is extremely beneficial. So interrogating yourself with the question of “Shall I take out the garbage today?” is more fruitful than a question that doubts whether you even have the agency to do it.
If you follow the news, you’ve almost certainly been distressed by certain American political figures asking themselves “Shall I…?” without also asking “But will they…?” In the liberal democracy that we still live in, it is the right of every single one of us to sometimes ask “Shall I…?” too.
That’s why I’m trying to make “shall” happen. In a future article or podcast episode, I shall explain how the questions we ask ourselves determine the thoughts that subsequently enter our minds.
Luke founded The Morpheus Clinic for Hypnosis in 2006 after receiving an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto. His approach is client- and solution-focused, brief and humanistic. You can learn more about his life philosophy through the social media links below.