APAD: A thorn in the flesh

Meaning:

   A persistent difficulty or annoyance.

 

Background:

   From the Bible, 2 Corinthians 12:7 (King James Version):

       And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the

       revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of

       Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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The passage perfectly demonstrates the idea of yin-yang: there is always an

amount of yin, however small, within the predominant yang, and vice versa.

 

As for the thorn itself,

Christians would be toiling daily toward its riddance,

a Buddhist would be too busy breathing to notice,

the stoic realizes the thorn's beyond his control,

and the taoist is the freeist, he can stay put or do anything.