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Sore spot

Reader question: What does "don't touch him on his sore spot" mean? What is "sore spot"?

My comments:

The sore spot on the body is a wound or injury. If you bumped into a lamp post in the street – say you were really absent minded that time – and you had a lump on the forehead to show for it, then that lump on the head would be a sore spot. You wouldn't want anyone to touch it – let alone hit it hard – and bring out an "ouch" from you.

That's physical pain. Metaphysically, I mean figuratively speaking, a sore spot could be a mental problem as well. Childhood traumas, for instance, can remain psychological sore spots for people in early adulthood or even throughout their lives. In fact, understanding of the effect of traumatic childhood experiences on people is what turned Sigmund Freud into such a big shot as a psychologist. And Freud is the reason why modern-day psychiatry, psychoanalysis and psychotherapy are so big in the West, and increasingly here as well.

Say you've just gone through an acrimonious (angry, painful and unpleasant) divorce, say you wife took the kids along with the apartment, leaving you nothing except a monthly paycheck to fill for child support. Then divorce as a topic might be your sore sport. You wouldn't want anyone to talk in your face about divorce, singlehood (at 40), second marriage or perhaps even relationships in general, not initially at any rate.