Going the Extra Mile

When going through life, your parents, teachers, mentors, supervisors, and commanding officers all tell you about the importance of "going the extra mile". But what does this really mean? In what circumstance does one actually go an extra mile without completely overshooting their target? Marathoners don't go 27 miles. Ships' captains don't drive inland. Golfers don't aim for the woods.

Have you ever gone to the supermarket, and then gone an extra mile? How ever will you shop for your groceries from there? It seems that going the extra mile in almost every imaginable scenario would be the absolute wrong thing to do. So why then, is this the benchmark for achievement? It makes no sense.

Unless, perhaps, you are walking in one of those charity events, where your sponsors pay you for the number of miles you walk. But this is a very limited example - certainly this can't be the extra mile to which everyone is referring.

Can it?

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