Marathon runners talk about hitting a wall that's part mental, part physiological. People participating in mountain climbing or other physical activities can also encounter a wall that's part fear, part exhaustion.
Political activists and philosophers can also encounter walls. In fact, just about anyone can encounter a wall that they can either conquer or submit to.
Is there a synonym for this term?
P.S. It would also be interesting to know how ubiquitous the term "the wall" is. I think I've seen it used by a variety of athletes, not just runners, but have you ever heard it used by non-athletes?