If the conventions (And EVERYHTING has conventions...) says you need to collect 37 purple gorillas to move on to the next 'stage'... regardless of whatever your excuses are, if you do not collect all 37, then you fail... plain and simple...

Can we expect everyone to function at thet same level? Just look at some of the things said in this thread.. obviously not... See above re" "whole lotta winners at the top... whole lotta loosers at the bottom" and there's nothing artificial about those designations at all... ask the food chain...

"Friction hurts"
Get more lube!

"gravity sucks"
Sure beats the hell outa the alternative! LOL

" I don't beleive there is a 'proper' way to fail..."
I'm reminded of the line... "This isn't flying! It's falling with style!" :-)