the.com/stumbling block
The obstacle you blame right before admitting you never really wanted it anyway.
means An obstacle or difficulty that trips up progress toward a goal.
from From the literal image of a block or stone placed in a path to make people stumble. The phrase appears in biblical English translations (Leviticus, Romans) describing something that causes others to sin or fail, and from there it walked straight into everyday speech as a word for any obstacle — physical or metaphorical — that gets in the way.
- origin
- Biblical, meant literally tripping someone on purpose
- psychology
- Often self-erected to avoid risking real failure
- irony
- Removing it rarely removes the excuse