Well, let me tell you, this word “refractoriness,” it’s a real mouthful, ain’t it? Sounds like some kinda fancy disease or somethin’. But it ain’t that, not really. It’s more like when somethin’ or someone just won’t do what you want ’em to. Like my old mule, Betsy. Stubborn as a rock, that one was. You could try to get her to go one way, and she’d just plant her feet and refuse. That’s refractoriness, plain and simple.
Now, I heard some folks use it when talkin’ ’bout sicknesses too. Like when a cough just won’t quit, no matter what kinda medicine you throw at it. They say that cough is refractory. Means it’s resistin’ the treatment, just like Betsy resisted that old plow. It just don’t wanna budge. That’s one meaning, this resistant to treatment or cure.
And then there’s this other thing about heat. Some things, they can get real hot and not melt or break down. Like those bricks in a furnace. They gotta be tough to stand that heat. So they gotta be refractory, able to stand the high temperatures. You see, that’s another meanin’ right there. It can withstand high heat. That’s what this refractoriness is.
- Resistin’ control, like a stubborn mule.
- Resistin’ treatment, like a stubborn cough.
- Resistin’ heat, like those tough furnace bricks.
So, you got this word, refractoriness, and it can mean a few different things. But mostly, it’s about somethin’ bein’ stubborn, resistin’, not doin’ what it’s supposed to. Like kids sometimes, bless their hearts. You tell ’em to clean their room, and they just look at you with those big eyes and don’t move a muscle. Refractory, that’s what they are! It is the trait of being unmanageable.
I remember one time, tryin’ to teach my grandson how to milk a cow. He just wouldn’t listen. Kept pullin’ the wrong way, scarin’ the poor animal. He was bein’ refractory, alright. Just wouldn’t cooperate. And let me tell ya, dealin’ with a refractory child is just as hard, if not harder, than dealin’ with a refractory sickness or a refractory piece of metal. It’s all about that resistance, that unwillingness to bend.
There are other words that mean somethin’ similar, I reckon. Words like “recalcitrant” or “unruly.” They all got that same idea of not wantin’ to be controlled. Just like a wild horse that ain’t been broken yet. That horse is refractory, recalcitrant, and unruly all at once! Or rebellion, defiance. They all mean this refractoriness.
Now, I ain’t no fancy scholar, but I know what I see. And I see refractoriness all around me. In people, in animals, even in things that ain’t alive. It’s just a part of life, I suppose. Somethin’ always wants to go its own way, no matter what you do.
So, this “refractoriness,” it’s a big word for a simple idea. It’s about bein’ stubborn, resistin’, not followin’ the rules. Whether it’s a mule, a sickness, a hot brick, or a child, it’s all the same thing. It just means somethin’ ain’t doin’ what you want it to, plain and simple. Like that time I tried to get my old dog to stop barkin’ at the mailman. He just kept on barkin’, day in and day out. Refractory, that dog was. Just like some people I know, always wantin’ to do things their own way, no matter what. Stubborn, unmanageable.
This refractoriness is also like insubordination and disobedience. This is the quality of being refractory. This is the insensitivity to further immediate stimulation that develops in irritable and especially nervous tissue as a result of intense or prolonged stimulation. The refractory children always show obstinate resistance to authority or control. This is refractory behavior.
I reckon the best way to deal with refractoriness is just to be patient. Sometimes, you just gotta let things be, let ’em go their own way for a while. Like that old mule, Betsy. Eventually, she’d come around. Just needed her own time. And sometimes, you just gotta be firm. Like with that cough, you gotta keep takin’ that medicine, even if it don’t seem to be workin’ right away. And with those furnace bricks, well, you just gotta make sure you got the right ones that can stand the heat. This is the meaning of refractoriness.
So next time you hear that word, “refractoriness,” don’t be scared by it. Just remember old Betsy, the stubborn mule, and you’ll know what it means. It is the trait of being unmanageable.
