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OT: Is there a literary term for the situation where something's greatest strength is also that thing's greatest weakness? Like an Achilles heel, except the A
by fnid2 17y ago
OT: Is there a literary term for the situation where something's greatest strength is also that thing's greatest weakness? Like an Achilles heel, except the Achilles heel isn't also a strength.
It applies here, because the 140 char limit is what helped twitter take off, but it could also be twitter's greatest weakness.
- MikeCapone 17y ago> OT: Is there a literary term for the situation where something's greatest strength is also that thing's greatest weakness? A couple of Google searches (ha!) didn't return anything, but it feels like there should be (I'm expecting an ancient greek word). I'd definitely also like to know.
- qjz 17y ago"Double-edged sword" is typically used for these scenarios. But the meaning is more metaphysical than practical, suggesting that two blades facing opposite directions can do an equal amount of harm as good ("cuts both ways"). Oddly, the "Midas touch" fits the definition almost perfectly, but the phrase is almost always used to positively describe someone's uncanny success, ignoring the devastating effects it might have on the person's life.