Essay on “Strike When the Iron is Hot” Complete Essay for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Strike When the Iron is Hot

Everyone wants to succeed but not all achieve success. The reason being that some people are able to understand the circumstances and take the right step at the right moment. Those who do not let the right opportunity pass by them and take the desired action without fear are the ones who achieve success in their endeavours.

Everyone in life wishes to succeed in whatever project he or she undertakes. Success builds confidence failure dejects a person. Success gets one appreciation but failure brands one as incompetent. There are some people who generally succeed while there are others who often fail in their endeavours. It is of course difficult to account for the success and failure in terms of scientific analysis. There are several factors which greatly affects the outcome of an effort. That is taking stock of the situation and acting when the time is appropriate.

  The proverb comes from the profession of the iron smith. He strikes the iron when it is red hot because it is then that the iron is the softest and most pliable. By quickly striking it then he is able to mould it into whatever shape he wants. But if on the contrary he misses to strike it when it is hot and soft then any amount of hammering will not have any effect on the iron. Interpreted and applied to daily human existence it means seizing the opportunity when it presents itself. The wise always remain alert and make use of the opportunity (which is a favorable combination of circumstances) and get what they want. Whereas people who are not watchful let the opportunity slip by and then find it extremely difficult to succeed in what they wish to do. It is believed that opportunities seldom repeat themselves. Therefore an opportunity once missed is missed either forever or for long time. Shakespeare expressed the same idea in his play Julius Caesar when he wrote:

                     “There is a tide in the affairs of men

                Which taken at the flood leads on to fortune;

                     Omitted all the voyage of their lives;

                    Is bound in shallows and in miseries”

When the sea is in tide the sailors who are alert seize the chance to set their ships on sail. Those who are not ready to avail of the opportunity miss the tide. Then they are forced to postpone their journey for an indefinite period; that is still another tide comes. Similarly there is a tide in the affairs of human beings that is a certain time propitious for achieving certain objectives.

This proverb can be applied to any walk of life and its efficacy evaluated. In the field of sports for example in a hockey match if the goal keeper does not spring to life when the hall is near the goal-post his team will certainly lose by a goal. Or again if one of the players who happens to be in a strategic position gets the ball and does not strike it he will lose the opportunity for securing a goal for his team. In the game of cricket a player finding a particular side of the ground inadequately covered by the adversary team hits the ball in that direction and scores his four.

In the battlefield if the army does not attack the weak points of the enemy they let the enemy become stronger. A soldier has to be extremely vigilant on the battlefield. The moment he spots the enemy he has to act fast and hit. Otherwise the enemy will soon be on him and he will be overpowered.

Similarly in love the lover has to be on the alert for the favorable mood of the beloved if he wants to secure her as his bride. Women are generally double-minded about their suitors. Therefore the lover should ask for her hand when her ardour” to be intense. Once he misses on that her passion might cool and he might not succeed it getting married to her.

There are certain people who are more often than not slumbering when it comes to evaluating the circumstances and recognizing the opportunity. Having missed the opportunity they curse their stars or ill luck for their failure. What these people fail to realize is that the fault does not lie with the stars but with themselves. They can easily join the group of successful people it only they care to know what is happening around them and keep their eyes and ears open.

History of the world would have taken a different course if Hitler had launched an all-out offensive against Britain soon after his spectacular victory at Dunkirk. He might then have defeated and demoralized Britain and won the war. But instead he chose to direct his attack against Russians too which proved fatal for him. So he lost the opportunity of attacking Britain and then failed to overcome Britain altogether.

No doubt there are times when individual alertness does not avail of much and success depends on mere chance but Such chances are few and far between. Generally it is those who keep their eyes and ears open for the conducive Opportunity achieve success. History is repeat with instances of the sagacious who struck while the iron was hot and succeeded. Nadir Shah the Irani plunderer attacked India when the weakest of the Moghul Kings Mohammad Shah Rangila was ruling India. When the East India Company realised that the Indian princely States were constantly at war with themselves they consolidated their army and struck of the Rajas fighting among themselves. The result was victory for the East India Company and British rule in India.

In the field politics this mainly holds equally good. A politician’s success largely depends on his exploiting the sentiment prevailing in the public. The opposition candidates make full use of the lapses committed by the government. The ruling party candidates capitalize on some achievement of the government.