[Idiom] what does this mean "one step away from"?

[mokbon]

Hello

-----------------------------------------------------
I think you're about one step away from cuttin' your fuckin' ear off.

- Goodwill Hunting
-----------------------------------------------------

Does this mean "a very close to something"?

What is the difference of these?
1. you're about one step away from cuttin' your fuckin' ear off.
2. you're about cuttin' your fuckin' ear off.

 

[Ouisch]

In AmE, "one step away from" means (as you presumed) very, very close to. Quite often it is used as a warning; for example, if a school student is being very disruptive in class and is sent to the principal's office, the principal might review his record and tell him: "This isn't the first time that you've caused trouble in class. You are one step away from being suspended if you don't change your attitude."

Or maybe a baseball player is arguing with the umpire over a call the umpire made. The two will argue very heatedly and then the umpire will say "You are one step away from being ejected from the game," which is the ball player's cue to back down and stop arguing.

In your Good Will Hunting example, Will is teasing Sean about being finding so much artistic merit in a paint-by-numbers picture. Saying that Sean was "one step away from cutting his ear off" was his sarcastic way of comparing him to Vincent Van Gogh.