Iron—used in farming tools, industrial equipment, and weapons—must be exceptionally strong to fulfill its purpose. To achieve this, it is heated in a blazing fire until it glows red-hot, hammered repeatedly, and then plunged into water for rapid cooling. This process removes impurities, reshapes its internal structure, and greatly enhances its strength. The technique is known as tempering. The more it is repeated, the stronger the iron becomes. The legendary Seven-Branched Sword, forged in the ancient Baekje Kingdom, is said to have undergone this process a hundred times. Tempering is the essential transformation that turns crude metal into a tool of power and value.
It is often said that people must endure hardship in order to truly mature. When life feels like being thrust into fire, struck by a hammer, and plunged into freezing water, perhaps we can choose to see these trials not as obstacles, but as the tempering that shapes us—refining our character and making us stronger, steadier, and ready to face what lies ahead.
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