Idea Ripper // ArchiveCards: 1555 [Live] | Updated: 2026-10-14
Card #c1273IR // #c1273Synthesis

"Moving the goalposts—whatever is achievable becomes by definition inadequate so that the reachable is perpetually ditched for a more inaccessible position." "Best versus good—rejecting adequate or useful agreements on the grounds that they do not match up with some grander but less practical or accessible ideal."

— In our words · Source: The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy (Andrew F. Cooper, Jorge Heine & Ramesh Thakur)

[Use when]

Each time a deal gets close, someone declares it not good enough.

[Why it matters]

Both are defection tactics that let a party block a deal while appearing more ambitious than everyone else. They also catch sincere idealists, who walk away from a usable agreement while waiting for a perfect one.

Filed under situations:When the other side has more leverageWhen you must decide and the facts aren’t in

More from The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy

#c1255"…‘negotiation is getting something by giving something, and it is the search for solutions when there are conflicts of interest between…You're pushing for the best possible terms and haven't asked whether the other side will still want to comply… #c1256"Public bluff and bluster intended to induce caution often induced risk-taking." "Khrushchev had no way of knowing whether this statement…You're sending a warning through a public channel and assuming the target will read it the way you meant it. #c1257"He was careful not to describe this as an ultimatum, but as a simple fact." "In framing the problem thus, Robert Kennedy was, in effect,…You need to convey a deadline without triggering the defiance an ultimatum invites.

Same situation, different book

#c1358Take the deal when the timing and the partner are rightAn offer undervalues you but solves your real constraints and comes from a partner you trust.From Cancel Me If You Can #c1293Don't let adverse selection paralyze youYou're worried that anyone willing to deal with you must know something you don't.From Trade Outside the Box #c1292Weight their view by how wide they quoteThe other side's number differs from yours and you have to decide how much to move.From Trade Outside the Box #c1555The Two-Tier Value Calculus: Preferred Indifferents and the Invention of DutyHigh-stakes negotiations, entrepreneurial risk-taking, or career crises where you need maximum tactical drive…From Lives of Eminent Philosophers