Driving off the edge of a cliff can be terrifying
Originating from the Latin word praecipitium , the term precipice refers to a ravine that cannot be approached without risk of falling . Cliffs, therefore, are potentially dangerous places .
Some examples
Let's look at the term cliff in some sentences: "I had never driven my car on a mountain: I was afraid to be so close to the cliff" , "The young woman did not hesitate to approach the cliff to rescue the man" , "Tragedy: three people died when fall off a cliff.”
In these examples we see the fundamental use of this word, whose definition refers to something material. Driving a car on a high-altitude road, next to a cliff, is an experience that would cause fear to most people, since the chances of suffering a fatal accident are very high . If we add unfavorable weather conditions, it can become a real nightmare.
In the second sentence, it talks about a woman who rescues a man after seeing him hanging from a cliff, putting her own life at risk. Finally, the death of three people who were victims of a fall is mentioned.
General characteristics
The cliffs are at high altitudes . This means that anyone who falls off a cliff can suffer serious injuries or even lose their life .
In the mountains there are usually precipices or abysses . That is why mountaineering requires numerous safety measures. There are also cliffs in multi-story buildings .
On the edge of the cliff
The idea of a cliff also has a symbolic use . We speak of “being on the edge of the precipice” when someone or something is about to collapse or suffer a blow with serious consequences .
Suppose that a country has been in economic recession for three years, with an unemployment rate of 25% and annual inflation of more than 50% . While more and more companies close, the majority of residents find it difficult to satisfy their most basic material needs. Therefore, given the difficulties and the fact that there are no signs of a quick recovery, political analysts and economic experts affirm that the nation is on the brink of the precipice . In this way they warn of a possible social collapse with an increase in hunger and violent confrontations.
Facing a natural precipice can transform us
A person who is going through a time of many difficulties in all areas may also feel on the edge of the precipice. For example, if you have lost your job in a company where you had worked for many years, if a romantic relationship that completed you has ended, or if you have lost a loved one in a tragedy and cannot recover. We see that this situation can affect both the emotional, economic and professional levels, since life in society requires a certain degree of balance between the three. If only one fails, it is possible to rely on the others, but when all three are compromised , reality can be desperate .
In fact, between being on the edge of the precipice and taking one's own life there is not much distance in most cases. Society does not seem to be prepared to support those who need it most, at least not in a spontaneous and personalized way: there are help plans, generally oriented towards economic issues, but it is a closed structure , which does not allow exceptions. Our best option if we believe that nothing makes sense is to turn to a friend, someone who can see our sorrow without filters and can offer us the hand that can really pull us out of the hole. The problem is that we do not always have that person, and that is when our possibilities are dangerously reduced.