“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances.” – Anonymous
I picked this quote out of many because it resonated with me the most. This quote has a level of philosophical thinking and profoundness attached to it, and it’s also incredibly open-ended. People may interpret this quote differently depending on beliefs and values, but I believe this quote is a means to really think deeply about ourselves. “It’s about what you’re made of, not the circumstances.” means to me that while the challenges you face are ever-changing, what’s most important is what you’re made of. When times get tough, are you willing to face the obstacle head on, or will you be swept away? The ‘water’ in this scenario can be attributed to the ‘challenging circumstance’ and while the potato softens and turns into mush when in contact with the boiling water, the egg hardens or “adapts” and takes on a new form. When faced with a challenge, will you be the potato, or the egg? This can be compared to fire too, as the same fire melts butter like it’s nothing, it also hardens steel. The same harsh words can crush one’s self-esteem, yet can also give resilience and the encouragement to improve to another.
The result of this boiling water onslaught against a now soft potato and hard egg really shows through the aftermath too. Say, the potato and the egg get knocked off the table. The soft, weakened and fragile potato crumbles onto the floor, a pile of mush, and the egg is unharmed, besides maybe two or three small cracks and a dent. It’s the same with people, too.