Hardness

Soft is stronger than hard, water stronger than rock, love stronger than violence.

—Hermann Hesse

Anger is like that. Runs on its own fumes, devours itself voraciously, explosively, until one day there is no fire left. Only pure, cold, unbreakable hardness.

—Leah Raeder in Black Iris

Shyness takes so many different forms. Some people are shy and soft. Some, shy and hard.

—Sally Thorne in The Hating Game