Final answer:
Hardening, in the context of a human safeguard, refers to increasing resilience and self-reliance to adapt to adversity; akin to how work hardening strengthens a material by introducing dislocations.
Step-by-step explanation:
When considering the concept of hardening in a technological context, it typically refers to the process of securing a system by reducing its surface of vulnerability, which includes system hardening and human safeguards. However, the mention of "hardening is actually a human safeguard" invites us to think broader than traditional IT security measures. Drawing parallels with the practice of work hardening, which involves introducing a dense network of dislocations throughout a solid to make it tougher and harder, we can reinterpret human safeguarding as building resilience against various challenges and threats. Similarly, humans can also 'harden' in a metaphorical sense by becoming more resilient and self-reliant, much like what our ancestors had to do to survive. This human aspect of hardening relates to adapting to adversity and becoming less vulnerable to unexpected events, thus gaining some agency in coping with and helping others cope with a range of outcomes.