Image Source:Artificial Intelligence
Hi everyone, Shalom Aleichem!
Good afternoon GanSist everyone!
There is a tendency that often appears when someone feels they have advantages. There are those who feel they are the smartest because of their academic achievements, there are those who feel they are the richest because of their wealth, and there are also those who feel they are the strongest because of their physical condition. In fact, any advantage does not automatically make someone mature as a human being. This is precisely where the difference lies. Physical strength can make a person look great in the eyes of others, but mental strength determines whether he is able to undergo the long process towards true humanity.
The phrase “turning stones into bread” is often understood as a description of the desire to obtain results without going through the proper stages. In everyday life, it can take various forms. There are those who want to be immediately successful without studying, want to be immediately respected without building character, or want to immediately get results without being willing to work hard. The modern world really likes something instant. Technology is getting faster, information is easier to access, and many services are made to be practical. However, technological developments have never erased one law of life that remains valid today, namely that growth requires a process.
Imagine a rock in the desert. It is impossible for the stone to suddenly turn into a piece of warm bread that is ready to be eaten. In natural reality, stones must experience weathering due to extreme temperature changes between day and night. After the soil begins to form from the results of weathering, then plant seeds can grow. The harvested wheat is then processed into flour, then processed through various stages until finally it becomes bread. The bread we enjoy is the result of a long series of processes, not the result of magical changes that ignore the laws of nature.
Geology explains that rock weathering is an important step in soil formation. Repeated temperature changes cause rocks to develop small cracks. Water, wind, and the activity of organisms speed up this process until soil particles are formed that are able to support plant life. Without the weathering process, fertile land would be much more difficult to form.
Wheat itself does not immediately turn into food. After harvesting, the wheat grains are cleaned, ground into flour, mixed with water, yeast and other ingredients. The dough is then fermented before finally being baked. Each stage has a function that cannot be simply skipped. If one of the steps is omitted, the final result will not be the same.
These natural processes provide very interesting lessons for human life. A person’s character also does not appear suddenly. Honesty, wisdom, discipline and courage are not traits that appear from birth in perfect form. All of this is formed through experience, failure, practice, and the ability to accept correction.
Unfortunately, not everyone likes the process. Many people are more interested in the results than the journey to get there. They want to get awards without working hard, want to be known without working, or want to become leaders without ever learning to serve. Desires like this often arise not because someone is truly capable, but because they believe too much in themselves.
This is where pride starts to come into play. Arrogance is not just feeling proud of one’s abilities. Arrogance is when someone starts to think that they no longer need learning, don’t need input, or even feel that the rules only apply to other people.
Ironically, arrogance often hides behind power. People whose bodies are strong may feel that they are able to face all problems alone. Even great athletes can be trapped in excessive self-confidence if they don’t have humility. In fact, psychology shows that healthy self-confidence is different from overconfidence. Overconfidence make a person exaggerate his abilities so that he takes wrong decisions more often.
On the contrary, mental strength actually makes a person dare to admit that he is not perfect. Mentally strong people are not afraid to learn from others. He does not feel his self-esteem goes down when he is corrected. He understands that criticism is not always an attack, but an opportunity to grow.
Research in the field of developmental psychology also shows that people who have growth mindset more able to face challenges than those who only focus on proving their abilities. People with a growth mindset view failure as part of the learning process. They don’t consider mistakes to be the end of everything.
This is very different from people who are mentally fragile but filled with pride. People like this usually want to appear successful at all times. He is afraid of failure because failure is considered a threat to his self-image. As a result, he prefers shortcuts. In a religious image, he wants to turn stones into bread instantly.
In fact, shortcuts almost always have consequences. A student who cheats may get high grades, but lose the opportunity to act honestly according to religious teachings. An employee who falsifies reports may appear successful for a moment, but has built a career on shaky foundations. A businessman who ignores ethics may make quick profits, but lose customer trust in the long run.
On the other hand, the process is often tiring. Learning takes time. Practicing requires discipline. Building good habits takes a long time of repetition. However, it is precisely this process that shapes a person’s capacity.
This phenomenon is also supported by research regarding grit. Psychologist Angela Duckworth explains that long-term success is influenced more by persistence and consistency than just natural talent. Many talented people fail to develop because they can’t stand the process. On the other hand, many ordinary people actually achieve high achievements because they continue to study for a long time.
Physical strength is important. A healthy body allows a person to work, study, exercise and carry out various activities well. However, physical strength has limits. Muscles will weaken with age. Running speed will decrease. The body’s endurance also changes.
This is different from mental strength which can actually mature through life experience. People who are able to manage emotions, accept failure, learn from mistakes, and remain hopeful when facing difficulties usually become more resilient individuals.
Therefore, never consider the process as torture. Process is a space of formation. Just as stones must undergo weathering before they become part of fertile soil, humans also often have to go through difficult times before producing something of value.
In fact, in the world of education, no scientist can immediately become an expert without years of reading, researching, conducting experiments, and correcting mistakes. A doctor must go through a long education. An engineer has to learn many concepts. A world athlete must undergo thousands of hours of painful training. No great achievement is truly born without a process.
So, when we have physical strength, intelligence, or any other advantages, don’t let these advantages make us resist being shaped. Advantages should be capital to go through the process better, not a reason to feel like you have finished learning.
The phrase stones become bread can be a reminder that good results have a long history behind them. Bread is not just food. Bread is a symbol of the cooperation of nature, time, human effort, and patience. Even stones that seem hard can ultimately contribute through a long journey, not through instant change.
In the end, truly strong humans are not those who are always able to show their strength to others. Truly strong people are those who remain humble when they have the ability, remain willing to learn when they have succeeded, and remain willing to go through the process even though shortcuts seem more tempting.
Don’t just be physically strong, but mentally fragile. Be a person who dares to be shaped by the process. Because, in real life, stones don’t turn into bread in an instant. Stones must undergo a long journey before finally giving birth to life. Likewise humans. A tough mentality, strong integrity, and a true attitude of wisdom are always born through a process that is not short.
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