HORME is ‘impulse’. Firstly, this Greek spirit personifies the ‘positive attraction toward an object which prompts a consequential action’. Secondly, it represents energetic activity, starting an action, effort (to do something), eagerness, setting oneself in motion. Thirdly, she had an altar in Athens. Her opposite character is Aergia, a goddess of sloth and apathy. The opposite word of <horme> is <aphorme>.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus (Marcus Aurelius) says that we “must pay special attention to the sphere of our impulses ensuring that they are subject to reservation, to the common good, and that they are in proportion to actual worth“.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca (Seneca the Younger) uses the Latin equivalent <impetus> when he affirms that “virtue resides in our judgment, which gives rise to impulse and clarifies all the appearances that give rise to impulse“.

<Horme> is ‘impulse’. According to Sir Percy Nunn, it refers to the deliberate drives or urges of an organism, conscious or not. He draws inspiration from Carl Gustav Jung. But the founder of analytical psychology expresses a stricter meaning in associating the term to psychological values. Maria Montessori underlines that the behaviour of the child depends on inner urges. These impulses have the aim of self constructing the individual. In other words, they push the child to become a specific singular adult. The opposite of this idea is child development by causality. Montessori’s thesis is close to the Aristotelian concept of entelechy which is part of her education.

The concept of <horme>, but not the name, is very dear to American psychologist James Hillman. He thinks that everybody has a destiny to accomplish. Therefore, we all have to understand and accept our personal mission in life. If we relate to our daemon we find our way to happiness.