Clay keeps a record of pressure long after the hand has moved away.

Soft material remembers. What was a moment of pressure becomes a fixed feature once things harden, and the mark outlasts the intention and often the memory of it. People work the same way, particularly early on, when they are most willing to take a shape.

Consider where you are currently the hand rather than the clay: with a child, a new colleague, or someone who takes what you say seriously. A remark that costs you nothing to make can stay in place long after you have forgotten saying it.