conatus
/kəˈneɪtəs/
noun
- An effort or striving toward a goal; an innate tendency to continue existing and to improve oneself.
- Philosophers often discuss the conatus of living things to preserve their own existence.
- The plant's conatus toward the sunlight was visible as it grew through the crack in the wall.
- Her conatus to succeed in her career drove her to work late every night.