Point of no return - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return

Point of no return
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The point of no return (PNR or PONR) is the point beyond which one must continue on
one's current course of action because turning back is physically impossible,
prohibitively expensive, or dangerous. A particular irreversible action (e.g., setting off
an explosion or signing a contract) can be a point of no return, but the point of no
return can also be a calculated point during a continuous action (such as in aviation).

Contents
1
2
3
4
5

Origins and spread of the expression

Related expressions
See also
Notes
External links

Origins and spread of the expression

The term "point of no return" originated as a technical term in air navigation to refer to
the point on a flight at which a plane is no longer capable of returning to the airfield
from which it took off.
The first major metaphorical use of the term in popular culture was in the 1947 novel
Point of No Return by John P. Marquand. It inspired a 1951 Broadway play of the same
name by Paul Osborn. The novel and play concern a pivotal period in the life of a New
York City banker. In the course of the story, the character faces two "point of no return"
realities: First, that his quest for a big promotion will mean either triumph or a dead
end to his career, and second, that he can never go back to the small-town life he
abandoned as a young man.

Related expressions
There are a number of phrases with similar or related meaning:
The Point of Safe Return (PSR) is the last point on a route at which it is possible to return
to the departure airfield with the required fuel reserves still available in the tanks.
Continuing past the PSR, one is now committed to landing at your destination.

1 of 4

24/12/16 14:29

Point of no return - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return

"Beyond a certain point there is no return. This point has to be reached." This
statement appears in Betrachtungen ber Snde, Leid, Hoffnung und den wahren
Weg ("Reflections on Sin, Suffering, Hope and the True Way") by Franz Kafka.
"Crossing the Rubicon" is a metaphor for deliberately proceeding past a point of
no return. The phrase originates with Julius Caesar's seizure of power in the
Roman Republic in 49 BC. Roman generals were strictly forbidden from bringing
their troops into the home territory of the Republic in Italy. On 10 January, Caesar
led his army across the Rubicon River, crossing from the province of Cisalpine
Gaul into Italy. After this, if he did not triumph, he would be executed. Therefore,
the term "the Rubicon" is used as a synonym to the "point of no return".
"alea iacta est" ("The die is cast"), which is reportedly what Caesar said at the
crossing of the Rubicon. This metaphor comes from gambling with dice: once the
die or dice have been thrown, all bets are irrevocable, even before the dice have
come to rest.
The following expressions also express the idea of a point of no return.
Burn one's bridges This expression is derived from the idea of burning down a
bridge after crossing it during a military campaign, leaving no choice but to
continue the march. Figuratively, it means to commit oneself to a particular course
of action by making an alternative course impossible. It is most often used in
reference to deliberately alienating persons or institutions whose cooperation is
required for some action. For instance, "On my last day at my old job, I told my
boss what I really think about the company. I guess I burned my bridges."
Burn one's boats. This is a variation of "burning one's bridges", and alludes to
certain famous incidents where a commander, having landed in a hostile country,
ordered his men to destroy their ships, so that they would have to conquer the
country or be killed.
One such incident was in 711 AD, when Muslim forces invaded the Iberian
Peninsula. The commander, Tariq ibn Ziyad, ordered his ships to be burned.
Another such incident was in 1519 AD, during the Spanish conquest of
Mexico. Hernn Corts, the Spanish commander, scuttled his ships, so that his
men would have to conquer or die.
A third such incident occurred after the Bounty mutineers reached Pitcairn
Island.
Two similar stratagems were used during the ChuHan Contention (206202
BCE); these have led to Chinese idioms, elaborated below.
Also mentioned in the Roman myth of Aeneas, who burned his boats after
conquering territory in Italy.

2 of 4

24/12/16 14:29

Point of no return - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return

Similar incidence was recorded in Burmese history. In the Battle of Naungyo

during the ToungooHanthawaddy War in 1538, the Toungoo armies led by
Gen. Kyawhtin Nawrahta (later Bayinnaung) faced a superior force of
Hanthawaddy Kingdom on the other side of a river. After crossing the river
on a Pontoon bridge (rafts in another version) Bayinnaung ordered the
bridge to be destroyed. This action was taken to spur his troops forward in
battle and provide a clear signal that there would be no retreat.[1]
"Break the kettles and sink the boats ()". This is an ancient Chinese
saying, which refers to Xiang Yu's order at the Battle of Julu (207 BC); by fording a
river and destroying all means of re-crossing it, he committed his army to a
struggle to the end with the Qin and eventually achieved victory.
"Fighting a battle with one's back facing a river" (). A similar saying
from the same period, which originated in Han Xin's order at the Battle of Jingxing
(204 BCE)
Fait accompli ("accomplished deed", from the verb "faire", to do), a term of
French origin denoting an irreversible deed, a done deal.
Physiology: PONR may also refer to the moment, when a human male is
sufficiently sexually aroused, beyond which ejaculation will inevitably occur.
Recognizing and maintaining arousal approaching the PONR (see also edging)
facilitates enhanced physical endurance and can promote a blissful state.

See also
Catastrophe theory
Commitment device
Dynamic inconsistency
Event horizon
Line in the sand (phrase)
Red line (phrase)
Sunk cost fallacy

Notes
1. Harvey, 1925, 154-155; U Kala II p. 173, ch. 168

External links

3 of 4

24/12/16 14:29

Point of no return - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_no_return

Calculate and visualize point of no return (radius of action) - as related to

(http://www.luizmonteiro.com/RA_Return_Same_Base.aspx) air navigation
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Point_of_no_return&
oldid=756329836"
Categories: Metaphors referring to places
This page was last modified on 23 December 2016, at 14:17.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License;
additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and
Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

4 of 4

24/12/16 14:29