However, living on the edge is unsustainable as a permanent state. The intensity required to balance there eventually leads to either a breakthrough or a fall. The edge is meant to be a transit point, not a residence. We go to the edge to see what we are made of, to catch a glimpse of the horizon, and to bring back what we’ve learned to the center. Conclusion

Culturally, we gravitate toward the edge. We admire the "edgy" artist or the "cutting-edge" technology because they represent the vanguard. These figures live at the periphery of social norms, pulling the rest of the center toward them. The edge is the site of revolution; it is where the status quo is questioned and where new languages, styles, and ideas are birthed.

Psychologically, being "on the edge" is often used to describe distress—being on the verge of collapse. But there is a duality here. In the "flow state" or "the zone," athletes and artists often describe themselves as being on the edge of their capabilities.