People are like ore; their fate depends on two things: their essence and their environment.

“How Steel Was Tempered” explains it clearly.

The “environment” is like a blast furnace — without enough heat, no one can change the nature of that ore.

“Essence” is about whether there’s iron in you at all. If yes, you can be forged into steel; if not, all you’ll get is slag.

Some people won’t be tested until pushed — but for many more, once pushed, you realize they’re genuinely incapable.