The word 决心 is formed through a conceptual merging of its two component characters. The first character, 决, carries the meaning of "to decide" or "to judge", implying a final and decisive action, like water breaking through a dam. The second character, 心, means "heart" or "mind", representing the inner core of one's thoughts and feelings. When combined, the word visually and conceptually paints the picture of a decisive judgment or resolution being firmly anchored within the heart-mind, thus creating the holistic meaning of "determination" or "fixed resolve", where a final decision has crystallized into an unwavering internal state.