Tightrope walking inexperienced funambulists will often walk barefoot so that the wire can be grasped between the big and second toe. This is more often done when using a rope, as the softer and silkier fibres are less taxing on the bare foot than the harder and more abrasive braided wire. The word "funambulism" or the phrase ""walking a tightrope"" is also used in a metaphorical setting not referring to any actual acrobatic acts. For instance, politicians are said to "walk a tightrope" when trying to balance two opposing views with little room for compromise. The term can also be used in
Letter to a Priest wishing to be parachuted into France to aid the French Resistance. Letter to a Priest "Letter to a Priest" () is a letter containing thirty-five, "expressions of opinion on matters concerning Catholic faith, dogma and institutions", by the French religious and social philosopher and mystic Simone Weil. It was first published in 1951 by Gallimard, and an English edition followed in 1953. It has since been republished several times in book form. Weil: ""When I read The Catechism of the Council of Trent, it seems as though I had nothing in common with the religion there set forth. [...] I