If he sets the goal of winning the national championship and merely wins the MAC three times, has he really failed?
Yes, he has failed at his goals. However, how you respond depends on the consequences for failure.
I like to aim for perfection in most things I do. I know I'm not going to achieve it. But by striving for perfection, we arrive at excellence.
But sometimes excellence isn't enough... Such as:
If you set a goal, and fail to meet it, you failed to meet it. We're not even going to get close to these goals.
The notion it is at all rational to talk about cutting emissions in half by 2030 should just stop being part of any conversation. We should consider what is going to happen as a result and how to mitigate that.
I'd like to lose 30 pounds. If I tried and lost 10, it would be a something. We're looking at maybe losing a pound, at best.
It really is that bad, despite the trillions we likely will throw at the problem.
If Cincydawg was told that:
- Not losing any weight would cause the planet would become unable to support 75% of our current population.
- Losing 30 pounds would cause the planet to be able to support our current population and projected growth.
- Losing 1 pound would cause the planet to become unable to support 74.9% of our current population.
- Losing 10 pounds would cause the planet to become unable to support 68% of the population.
If he then turned around and told you that his goal was to lose 10 pounds, but that his actual
plan was unlikely to lose more than 5, I'd consider it a failure with enormous consequences.
Your argument, Sam, is that if we need to lose weight and we don't lose enough, then we've still gained a lot. The opposite argument is if the plan as achieved kills 68% of the world's population, then even achieving the plan is a failure.
Achieving the Paris Accords is still a monumental failure, according to those models. And all projections are that we're going to fall well short of it.
So... That's facing reality.