“The edge there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over”
— Hunter S. Thompson
Simplified Meaning:
Sometimes in life, we talk about "the edge" which means a situation or experience that is very risky or extreme. It's like being on the edge of a cliff. If you’re standing near the edge, you might feel scared because it's dangerous and unknown. Now, imagine trying to describe what it's like to fall off that cliff to someone who has never been close to the edge. It's really hard to explain because only those who have actually fallen off, or experienced that extreme situation, truly know how it feels. For example, you can think about someone who has been through a very tough time, like losing a job or going through a serious illness. They understand the emotions and challenges fully, but someone who hasn't faced these problems can only guess what it might be like. It's similar to soldiers who have been in intense battles – they know the true horrors of war, while others can only imagine. This saying reminds us that there are limits and experiences in life that we can't fully understand just by hearing about them. To really know them, we have to experience them ourselves. This teaches us to be humble and sometimes to trust those who have gone through difficult situations when they tell us about their experiences.