--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Hardness,\" I was learning, was the…" description: "\"“Hardness,\" I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. The greatest compliment one could pay to another was to say he was hard. Hardne..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/nathaniel-fick-34731_courage_hardness-i-was-learning-was-the-supreme_3221950.jpg" --- # Hardness," I was learning, was the supreme virtue among… ![“Hardness," I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. The greatest compliment one could pay to another was to say he was hard. Hardness wasn't toughness, nor was it courage, although both were part of it. Hardness was the ability to face an overwhelming situation with aplomb…” quote by Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/nathaniel-fick-34731_courage_hardness-i-was-learning-was-the-supreme_3221950.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/nathaniel-fick-34731_courage_hardness-i-was-learning-was-the-supreme_3221950.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/404/nathaniel-fick-34731_courage_hardness-i-was-learning-was-the-supreme_3221950.jpg) > ““Hardness," I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. The greatest compliment one could pay to another was to say he was hard. Hardness wasn't toughness, nor was it courage, although both were part of it. Hardness was the ability to face an overwhelming situation with aplomb, smile calmly at it, and then triumph through sheer professional pride.”” [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Hardness is a blend of composure, confidence, and professional pride when confronting overwhelming challenges **In simple terms:** Staying calm and proud under pressure defines true strength Key Takeaway Cultivate composure and pride in adversity Themes leadership resilience professional pride Mood steady confident Type leadership inspirational When to use this quote - combat - high‑stakes business - emergency response - sports competition Key Concepts military culture psychology of stress performance Questions to Reflect On - How can leaders show hardness without appearing cold? - What practices build professional pride health hurting others? A Different Perspective Hardness without empathy can alienate teammates; balance with compassion ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Marines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marines/) [Pride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pride/) [Toughness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/toughness/) ## Related quotes > [Every attainment, every step forward in knowledge, follows from courage, from hardness against oneself, from cleanliness in relation to oneself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-attainment-every-step-forward-in-knowledge-follows-from-courage/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Your job is to be the hardest motherfucker in your platoon," he said while pointing at me across the desk. "Do that, and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/your-job-is-to-be-the-hardest-motherfucker-in-your-platoon-he-said/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [As a Marine officer in combat, I was responsible for the lives and safety of all the Marines who served with me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-north/as-a-marine-officer-in-combat-i-was-responsible-for-the-lives-and/) [Oliver North](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-north/) > [“Great Marine commanders, like all great warriors, are able to kill that which they love most -- their men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/great-marine-commanders-like-all-great-warriors-are-able-to-kill-that/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [Hardness shatters; strength endures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jordan/hardness-shatters-strength-endures/) [Robert Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jordan/) > [I am deeply moved when I write. 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When he dies, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrei-tarkovsky/weakness-is-a-great-thing-and-strength-is-nothing-when-a-man-is-just/) [Andrei Tarkovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrei-tarkovsky/) > [She thought of the hardness and the coldness she had cultivated over those years and wondered if they were the mask she wore or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-whalen-turner/she-thought-of-the-hardness-and-the-coldness-she-had-cultivated-over/) [Megan Whalen Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-whalen-turner/) > [Hardness ever of hardness is mother.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/hardness-ever-of-hardness-is-mother/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [In all things preserve integrity; and the consciousness of your own uprightness will alleviate the toil of business, soften the hardness of ill-success and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babe-paley/in-all-things-preserve-integrity-and-the-consciousness-of-your-own/) [Babe Paley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babe-paley/) > [We are the new "barbarians", forged in iron hardness in the fires of their hate and persecution. 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And I mourned for myself. Not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/i-hurt-for-my-marines-goodhearted-american-guys-who-d-bear-these/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“You’re quoted as saying, ‘The bad news is, we won’t get much sleep tonight; the good news is, we get to kill people.’” She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/you-re-quoted-as-saying-the-bad-news-is-we-won-t-get-much-sleep/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [When you are serving volunteer professional military, you take an oath to the Constitution, not to a policy or a president and you swear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/when-you-are-serving-volunteer-professional-military-you-take-an-oath/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“Safety is paramount.” “If safety were paramount,” Whitmer declared, “we’d stay in the barracks and play pickup basketball. 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You can do a lot to prepare.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/i-was-in-afghanistan-and-then-obviously-in-iraq-and-i-realized-that/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“Great Marine commanders, like all great warriors, are able to kill that which they love most -- their men.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/great-marine-commanders-like-all-great-warriors-are-able-to-kill-that/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“You can’t volunteer to go to war and then bitch about getting shot at.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/you-can-t-volunteer-to-go-to-war-and-then-bitch-about-getting-shot-at/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [“Your job is to be the hardest motherfucker in your platoon," he said while pointing at me across the desk. "Do that, and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/your-job-is-to-be-the-hardest-motherfucker-in-your-platoon-he-said/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) > [Do nothing but be prepared to do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-fick/do-nothing-but-be-prepared-to-do-anything/) [Nathaniel Fick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) [Explore all 14 Nathaniel Fick quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-fick/) ## More Courage quotes > [The greatest act of courage is to be and to ownall of who you are—without apology, without excuses, without masks to cover the truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-ford/the-greatest-act-of-courage-is-to-be-and-to-ownall-of-who-you-are/) [Debbie Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-ford/) > [“It takes tremendous courage, persistence, and perseverance to pursue your ultimate purpose.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/it-takes-tremendous-courage-persistence-and-perseverance-to-pursue/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [“Yes, the issue was courage. 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Years from now, we will look back at this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-ingraham/certainly-these-are-not-easy-times-but-history-does-not-contain-very/) [Laura Ingraham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-ingraham/) > [Have the courage to go against the tide of current values that do not conform to the path of Jesus.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-francis/have-the-courage-to-go-against-the-tide-of-current-values-that-do-not/) [Pope Francis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-francis/) > [“There is nothing purer, braver, or more beautiful than the try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-armstrong/there-is-nothing-purer-braver-or-more-beautiful-than-the-try/) Kristen Armstrong > [“One theory on cannibals, of course, is that they eat parts of their slain enemies to benefit from that person's greatest assets - their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-powell/one-theory-on-cannibals-of-course-is-that-they-eat-parts-of-their/) [Julie Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-powell/) > [It is a tragedy that we live in a world where physical courage is so common, and moral courage is so rare.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-monet/it-is-a-tragedy-that-we-live-in-a-world-where-physical-courage-is-so/) [Claude Monet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-monet/) > [I have pictures with Morimoto where I'm all embarrassed and he's so serious, it took me 30 minutes to get up the courage to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcela-valladolid/i-have-pictures-with-morimoto-where-i-m-all-embarrassed-and-he-s-so/) [Marcela Valladolid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcela-valladolid/) [Browse all 14,559 Courage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/courage/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Hardness,\" I was learning, was the supreme virtue among recon Marines. 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