How Hardships Refine A Man

Found a piece of rambling I wrote earlier this year (2020), not very serious.

Hardship can occur in any man's life. But the truthful accepts them willfully. He knows the price of truth. He understands the repercussions. It gives him the courage to win. That which breaks men and causes them to resort to drugs and nihilism, he accepts it willingly. He accepts it as a part of his life. He occasionally falls and collapses but he knows the higher cause. He understands that a world without truth is hell. It is better to simply give up eating and die than to live in a kingdom of lies. This is why he grinds. He detaches himself from everything that makes his weak. He accepts in him that which is moving heavenly objects, flowing the rivers, and heating the volcanoes. In the fire of truth, all his difficulties burn into empty air. And the ashes build his character.

Those who never considered the necessity of virtue get through life easily because it is easy that way. When they face hardships, they have no hope and no reason to overcome them. They fall to the darkness that they built for themselves over a lifetime of sin. They lack reason to fight and overcome their hardships because they see nothing valuable on the other side. Even if they get through it, their lives would be just as meaningless as it has always been. Thus, their characters don't develop even in hardships. In fact, they tend to escape. Drugs, food, and music allow them to escape so they can avoid their struggles as if they don't see them. They lack the courage to get themselves together and get through it.

Thus, hardships don’t build every sufferer’s character because very few face their difficulties forthrightly with courage. When food supplies are cut, they run to the stores to pile up for themselves. The virtuous man thinks of the bigger problem-- who is gonna feed the people in the supply chain, the electricians, the plumbers? He prepares himself to eat less and less. He willfully accepts the challenge and focuses on how the problem can be eliminated. Thus, hardship refines his characters.