Diamonds are formed under pressure, yes, but a certain amount of pressure. A terrific amount of pressure, but still not too much pressure. There is an optimum point: enough to create greatness, but not so much that it destroys the possibility of it.

Even in creation there is a golden mean. In the pursuit of perfection, going too far can result in the very weakness, disorder, and imperfection one hopes to avoid. Not all destruction is transcendent - some is merely the byproduct of a craftsman hammering his tools until they are bent out of shape.

Too much pressure is just as real a danger as too little. You are not “weak” for being unable to withstand unlimited pressure. That is an absurdity. Wisdom lies in knowing limits, so that you can transcend them through meaningful violation, not by hammering away under the delusion that force alone creates form.

Refinement, then, is an art.