The toughness of a material depends on its molecular structure.
From the Latin tenacitas , tenacity is the quality of tenacious (that resists being deformed or broken, that clings to a thing or that is firm and persistent in a purpose).
As a physical property of materials, toughness is the energy that a material absorbs, with the consequent deformations that it acquires, before breaking. That is why the concept is associated with resistance and is a measure of the cohesion of things.
Fragility , flexibility and elasticity are some properties that are often confused with toughness, although they are not synonyms but rather each of these notions refers to specific characteristics of the materials .
Tenacity of a material
The toughness of a material depends directly on how it is constituted, on its molecular structure . Any object can be subjected to three types of stress: traction , compression and bending . Let's see below the behavior of a tenacious material under traction: if two forces are applied in opposite directions on an object (pulling on each of its ends, trying to break it in two), its material will allow it to stretch for a while, before finally breaking in half.
The concept of toughness is often mixed with that of mechanical resistance . To understand the differences, let's look at the definition of the latter and some of its characteristics : taking into account a given material, it is its resistance to compression, cutting and bending; refers to its ability to withstand applied stresses and forces without suffering permanent deformations, deterioration or breakage. Therefore, mechanical resistance does not contemplate irreparable damage to an object, while the study of toughness focuses on that particular point.
On a symbolic level, tenacity is linked to the ability to resist and overcome adversity.
Symbolic use of the concept
In a symbolic sense (that is, transcending physical properties), tenacity is an attitude characterized by resistance in the face of adversity . A tenacious person is insistent and remains firm in his or her conduct or behavior until he or she reaches his or her goal.
Tenacity is acting with passion and confidence. A person may fail many times, but if they are willing to learn from their mistakes and keep trying, they are very likely to reach their goal. In this sense, the term is linked to the concept of perseverance.
The importance of tenacity
Many consider that tenacity is an essential value to achieve success in any area of life. The expression "he who succeeds never gives up" expresses the importance of staying on his feet, trying again and again to make his dreams come true; At the same time, it implies that true failure lies in giving up, in stopping fighting.
Some people mistakenly assume that tenacity requires a series of particular virtues , which not everyone possesses. On the contrary, a tenacious attitude demands the use of 100% of our abilities and energies to achieve a goal. If we relate this meaning to that used in physics, we can establish the following analogy: tenacity is the ability to withstand the blows of life before breaking down , giving up.
As with materials and their efforts, the failures and disappointments typical of life in society leave us with wounds , often indelible, and it is up to us to get up and continue moving forward to prevent them from destroying us emotionally. If you could measure the magnitude of perseverance and determination that a person allocates to the pursuit of their goals before giving up, then the resulting value would be their tenacity.
There are many countries that denounce the lack of enthusiasm and tenacity of their young people; In many cases, technological advances, especially the Internet, are blamed for the lack of willpower shown by students. This impacts various aspects of culture, always in a negative way: written and oral language is deformed, one's own history is increasingly unknown, and intellectual capacity in general decreases.