Difference Between Spirit and Mind

Spirit vs Mind
 

Difference between mind and spirit is a new topic for many as these two words are often confused as words that convey the same meaning because the difference between them is not understood by many. The word spirit is used in the sense of ‘strength of the mind’. On the other hand, the word mind is used in the sense of ‘psyche’ or ‘intellect’. This is the main difference between the two words, namely, spirit and mind. Even though, mind and spirit seem to be two words that have difference meanings, one should remember that these meanings are actually interrelated. You will be able to understand that better by reading this article.

What does Spirit mean?

Mind too has strength and it is called as mental strength. Spirit is all about the strength of the mind. Thus, it can be said that the word spirit is the subset of the word ‘mind’. A person should have sufficient amount of strength in his mind to have spirit. Look at the two sentences given below:

His spirit took him the distance.

Look at his spirit.

In both the sentences, the word spirit is used in the sense of ‘strength of the mind’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘the strength of his mind took him the distance’, and the second sentence can be rewritten as ‘look at the strength of his mind’. You can understand this meaning of the word spirit better if you look at the following definition given by the Oxford English dictionary. According to that, spirit is ‘the quality of courage, energy, and determination.’ This definition clearly explains what is meant by strength of mind. It is a mixture of courage, energy and determination. The word spirit has its adjectival form in the word ‘spirited.’

What does Mind mean?

Mind means ‘psyche’ or ‘intellect.’ Observe the two sentences given below:

His mind is calm and quiet.

Her mind is perturbed by the incident.

In both the sentences, you can find that the word mind is used in the sense of ‘psyche’ or ‘intellect’ and hence, the meaning of the first sentence would be ‘his intellect is calm and quiet’, and the meaning of the second sentence would be ‘her intellect is perturbed by the incident’. If you want to have a broader or a bit more complicated definition of the word mind you can have a look at this definition presented by the Oxford English dictionary. A mind is ‘the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.’ The word mind has its adjectival form in the word ‘mental’.

What is the difference between Spirit and Mind?

• The word spirit is used in the sense of ‘strength of the mind’. On the other hand, the word mind is used in the sense of ‘psyche’ or ‘intellect’.

• The strength of the mind is the mental strength. Spirit is used in the sense of strength of mind which cannot be obtained without the mental strength of a person.

• Spirit is a mixture of courage, energy and determination.

• Spirited is the adjective of spirit while mental is the adjective of mind.

These are the important differences between the two words, namely, spirit and mind.