harden oneself to

harden (oneself) to (something)

To ready or prepare oneself, often emotionally, for a difficult or unpleasant experience. How can I, as a therapist, ever harden myself to the pain of others? We all need to harden ourselves to the seriousness of Aunt Louise's diagnosis. The sooner Bill hardens himself to the reality that his marriage is over, the better—for his sake.

See also: harden, to

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

harden oneself to something

Fig. to make oneself capable of bearing something unpleasant. You will have to learn to harden yourself to tragedies like this. They happen every day in a hospital. She had learned to harden herself to the kinds of poverty she had to work in.

See also: harden, to

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.