A robotic system comprising: a manipulator arm comprising a distal portion that includes an end effector, the manipulator arm having a plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) between the distal portion and a proximal portion coupled to a base, and the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) providing sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of joint states for a given state of the end effector; an input device configured to receive a manipulation command to move the end effector with a desired end effector movement; and a processor coupled to the input device and the manipulator arm, the processor configured to perform operations comprising: in response to receiving the manipulation command, determining joint velocities of an end effector displacing movement of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) to achieve the desired end effector movement by using a pseudo-inverse solution of a Jacobian matrix; determining weighted joint velocities by adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within a null-space of the Jacobian matrix, wherein adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within the null-space comprises applying a weighting to the determined joint velocities of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the applying the weighting being performed within a joint space of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) by calculating a differential between the pseudo-inverse solution and a gradient of a weighting paraboloid in the joint space, the weighting corresponding to an additional movement of a first set of joints of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the additional movement of the first set of joints corresponding to a non-moving end effector; and transmitting a command to the manipulator arm in response to the end effector displacing movement to drive the manipulator arm in accordance with the determined joint velocities and the weighted joint velocities to effect the desired end effector movement and the additional movement of the first set of joints. a manipulator arm comprising a distal portion that includes an end effector, the manipulator arm having a plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) between the distal portion and a proximal portion coupled to a base, and the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) providing sufficient degrees of freedom to allow a range of joint states for a given state of the end effector; an input device configured to receive a manipulation command to move the end effector with a desired end effector movement; and a processor coupled to the input device and the manipulator arm, the processor configured to perform operations comprising: in response to receiving the manipulation command, determining joint velocities of an end effector displacing movement of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) to achieve the desired end effector movement by using a pseudo-inverse solution of a Jacobian matrix; determining weighted joint velocities by adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within a null-space of the Jacobian matrix, wherein adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within the null-space comprises applying a weighting to the determined joint velocities of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the applying the weighting being performed within a joint space of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) by calculating a differential between the pseudo-inverse solution and a gradient of a weighting paraboloid in the joint space, the weighting corresponding to an additional movement of a first set of joints of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the additional movement of the first set of joints corresponding to a non-moving end effector; and transmitting a command to the manipulator arm in response to the end effector displacing movement to drive the manipulator arm in accordance with the determined joint velocities and the weighted joint velocities to effect the desired end effector movement and the additional movement of the first set of joints. in response to receiving the manipulation command, determining joint velocities of an end effector displacing movement of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) to achieve the desired end effector movement by using a pseudo-inverse solution of a Jacobian matrix; determining weighted joint velocities by adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within a null-space of the Jacobian matrix, wherein adjusting the determined joint velocities of the end effector displacing movement within the null-space comprises applying a weighting to the determined joint velocities of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the applying the weighting being performed within a joint space of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5) by calculating a differential between the pseudo-inverse solution and a gradient of a weighting paraboloid in the joint space, the weighting corresponding to an additional movement of a first set of joints of the plurality of joints (J1, J2, J3, J4, J5), the additional movement of the first set of joints corresponding to a non-moving end effector; and transmitting a command to the manipulator arm in response to the end effector displacing movement to drive the manipulator arm in accordance with the determined joint velocities and the weighted joint velocities to effect the desired end effector movement and the additional movement of the first set of joints.