The meaning of the expression "thorny path". The whole truth about the history of this phrase

Let's try to understand what is the meaning behind the expression "thorny path". What does this phrase mean? When should it be used? And where does it come from? It's the only way to fully and unconditionally understand its essence.

Thorny Path: Value

To begin with, this is a very ancient phrase that came to us from the hot lands of the East. At the same time, its significance remains unchanged for the last two thousand years. As for its essence, the expression "thorny path" means hard, full of all kinds of obstacles fate.

Often, this expression applies to those people who are "lucky" to experience the full weight of fate. Here is an example: "His path was initially thorny: when he was seven, his father left them with his mother. In less than a year, as the grandfather, the only breadwinner in the family, fell seriously ill. And so, in his eight little Misha for the first time went to work in the local editorial office - to distribute ruble newspapers in the evenings. "

Where did this expression come from?

In fact, the "thorny path" is an image transferred from the real world. To be more precise, it is a literal comparison of the fate of a person with a thorn-covered road. Therefore, for a better understanding of this phenomenon, let's talk a little about what the said plant is.

So, the bramble is a prickly bush growing on the desert lands of the East. His fame he found thanks to massive spikes, which can easily tear the skin of a man. Hence, a thorny path is a road along which prickly plants grow.

As for the expression itself, over the years, people simply transferred the image of the prickly thicket into their conversation, turning it into a colorful metaphor. They compared the difficulty of passing a thorny path with how difficult it is sometimes to break through life's troubles. After all, how the thorns injure the body, so the blows of fate hit the soul with pain.

Parallel with the crown of thorns

The expression "thorny path" is very often used by Christians. This is due to the fact that they associate it with the life of Jesus Christ. In particular, with his last way to Calvary, where he was crucified. The whole point is that a crown of thorns was put on the head of the Savior, symbolizing, in the opinion of the Romans, the counterfeit crown of the "self-proclaimed" God.

Naturally, after the resurrection of Christ, the crown of thorns acquired a different meaning. He became a symbol of suffering. The same thing happened with the expression "thorny path". So, for Christians, it now symbolizes the trials that they have to go through to get to paradise.

In which cases is it acceptable to use this expression

Initially, the phrase "thorny path" denoted only the difficult fate of man. But over the years, people began to use it more and more often as a synonym for a kind of hardening of the spirit. For example, if a person persistently overcame all his life's troubles, this ultimately made him stronger and allowed him to succeed.

Therefore, it is best to apply this phrase in cases where it is necessary to point out the perseverance of the spirit of a certain person, to emphasize the complexity of fate and what this can lead to. Example: "The path of Stephen Hawking to the heights of the scientific world was very thorny. And yet, deprived of the opportunity to move and speak normally, he nevertheless managed to tell everyone how big our universe can be. "

Similar statements and metaphors

It is curious that in the Russian language there are many similar expressions and metaphors. Sometimes it seems that the Russian people, like no other, understand the complexity and complexity of life. But what fascinates even more is the fact that we never give up and turn all the difficulties into weapons that make us stronger.

And here are a few examples that confirm all of the above:

• "Through the thorns to the stars". This expression means that for the sake of your dreams you will have to go through the most prickly "thickets" of life.
• "Drink a cup to the bottom" (to withstand all the trials until the end). As with the crown of thorns, this expression is extremely important for Christians, as it is taken from the Bible.
• "What does not kill us makes us stronger." This aphorism best describes the essence of all the previous ones. After all, it contains the greatest mystery of life: there are no simple destinies, only those who can not bear their heaviness.