The term "intractable" has long served as a versatile descriptor in literature, employed to characterize characters and situations resistant to change or control. For instance, Aristophanes used it to criticize an old man’s obstinate unwillingness to heed counsel, portraying him as deaf to temperate advice [1]. Louisa May Alcott and Charles Dickens similarly depict individuals whose stubborn natures render them difficult to influence or subdue [2, 3]. In works by Hobbes and Nietzsche, the word emphasizes not only personal obstinacy but also the broader challenge posed by those who refuse societal or moral restraint [4, 5]. Even in more abstract or non-human contexts, such as Plato’s discussion of the convoluted Greek language [6] or Lewis Carroll’s recurring struggles with unyielding animals [7], "intractable" captures a spirit of relentless defiance. Across a variety of genres and eras—from epic struggles in Emily Brontë's narratives to cultural critiques in Conan Doyle and Santayana [8, 9, 10, 11]—the enduring appeal of the term lies in its capacity to invoke a sense of formidable resistance, whether in a person, a race, or even in the natural world.