Do you know if "to walk through the door" also has an idiomatic meaning?

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

alberto

2006-10-30 18:19:00 UTC

Hi,

I'm not sure if I should interpret "walk through the door" in the following
sentence in its literal meaning or in another way.This passage refers to the
fact that worriers often seek reassurance, but this only adds to their
worry, because they don't learn how to live with uncertainty; moreover, they
become "dependent" on reassurance-seeking..

"What is worse, seeking reassurance will make you go back over and over to
try to get more reassurance, since it will reduce your anxiety (and
uncertainty) for a few minutes. Seeking reassurance is like a compulsion to
check if you locked the door. If you check the door forty times, then
chances are that the next time you leave the house, you'll check it
forty-one times. The real trick is to able to walk through the door."

At first, I couldn't actually understand what the author meant, because, if
you check the door, you must have already walked through it, mustn't you?
So, what's the trick he is talking about?

I infer that the meaning is: you should be able to leave home without
checking the door repeatedly, but I don't think I can translate so
explicitly (provided I've got it right).

Do you feel I could paraphrase like this instead: "The real trick is
leaving the door behind" or maybe "..moving away from the door?".. in the
sense that you shouldn't keep standing there and checking?.

Thanks a lot!

Alberto

2006-10-30 19:06:42 UTC

Permalink

"The real trick is to able simply to walk through the door" (i.e.,
without checking the lock repeatedly).

Post by alberto
At first, I couldn't actually understand what the author meant, because, if
you check the door, you must have already walked through it, mustn't you?
So, what's the trick he is talking about?
I infer that the meaning is: you should be able to leave home without
checking the door repeatedly, but I don't think I can translate so
explicitly (provided I've got it right).
Do you feel I could paraphrase like this instead: "The real trick is
leaving the door behind" or maybe "..moving away from the door?".. in the
sense that you shouldn't keep standing there and checking?.
Thanks a lot!
Alberto

Edward Hennessey

2006-10-30 19:10:02 UTC

Permalink

Post by alberto
Hi,
I'm not sure if I should interpret "walk through the door" in

the following

Post by alberto
sentence in its literal meaning or in another way.This passage

refers to the

Post by alberto
fact that worriers often seek reassurance, but this only adds

to their

Post by alberto
worry, because they don't learn how to live with uncertainty;

moreover, they

Post by alberto
become "dependent" on reassurance-seeking..
"What is worse, seeking reassurance will make you go back over and over to
try to get more reassurance, since it will reduce your anxiety

(and

Post by alberto
uncertainty) for a few minutes. Seeking reassurance is like a

compulsion to

Post by alberto
check if you locked the door. If you check the door forty

times, then

Post by alberto
chances are that the next time you leave the house, you'll

check it

Post by alberto
forty-one times. The real trick is to able to walk through the

door."

Post by alberto
At first, I couldn't actually understand what the author

meant, because, if

Post by alberto
you check the door, you must have already walked through it,

mustn't you?

Post by alberto
So, what's the trick he is talking about?
I infer that the meaning is: you should be able to leave home

without

Post by alberto
checking the door repeatedly, but I don't think I can translate so
explicitly (provided I've got it right).
Do you feel I could paraphrase like this instead: "The real

trick is

Post by alberto
leaving the door behind" or maybe "..moving away from the

door?".. in the

Post by alberto
sense that you shouldn't keep standing there and checking?.

Alberto:

You choose your wonderments well. The sentence means what it says
while
also meaning "The real trick is (to get over the hump of
repetitive obsessive-compulsive worrying and) to walk through the
door once." If you need to add the parenthtetically expalantory
text or otherwise paraphrase to get that meaning across in your
target language, you certainly have warrant.

Regards,

Edward Hennessey

Nick Worley

2006-10-30 20:58:55 UTC

Permalink

Post by alberto
Hi,
I'm not sure if I should interpret "walk through the door" in the following
sentence in its literal meaning or in another way.This passage refers to the
fact that worriers often seek reassurance, but this only adds to their
worry, because they don't learn how to live with uncertainty; moreover, they
become "dependent" on reassurance-seeking..
"What is worse, seeking reassurance will make you go back over and over to
try to get more reassurance, since it will reduce your anxiety (and
uncertainty) for a few minutes. Seeking reassurance is like a compulsion to
check if you locked the door. If you check the door forty times, then
chances are that the next time you leave the house, you'll check it
forty-one times. The real trick is to able to walk through the door."
At first, I couldn't actually understand what the author meant, because, if
you check the door, you must have already walked through it, mustn't you?
So, what's the trick he is talking about?
I infer that the meaning is: you should be able to leave home without
checking the door repeatedly, but I don't think I can translate so
explicitly (provided I've got it right).
Do you feel I could paraphrase like this instead: "The real trick is
leaving the door behind" or maybe "..moving away from the door?".. in the
sense that you shouldn't keep standing there and checking?.

I don't know if it was deliberate on the writer's part or not, but the
expression "walk through the door", apart from the literal meaning, conjures
up for me the notion of overcoming your anxiety and walking through a
figurative door into a life free from stress and worry.
Regards
Nick

Edward Hennessey

2006-10-30 21:05:28 UTC