He who knows no hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.

Fosdick argues that resilience and moral strength are not innate possessions but qualities forged through adversity. “Hardships” cultivate “hardihood” (toughness of character), and “calamity” calls forth courage that would otherwise lie dormant. The final sentence broadens the claim into a paradox about human development: the traits most admired—steadfastness, compassion, bravery, patience—often arise from suffering rather than comfort. The image of virtues “growing” in soil mixed with troubles frames pain as formative rather than merely destructive, while still acknowledging its mystery: we may not fully understand why difficulty educates the soul, but experience repeatedly shows that it can.