Either you care or you don’t

Either you care or you don’t, there’s no in-between. And if you care, then go all of the way. – Stanley Kubrick

Almost compelling is another way of saying “not compelling”. Almost sold means not sold. Almost inspired is not inspired.

If we aren’t willing to go all of the way, then we don’t actually care, according to Stanley Kubrick: either we want people to get it or not. Either we want to inspire or not. Either we want to sell or not.

Keep in mind, though, that the crucial word here is “not”. By saying “not important” to most destinations it becomes feasible to say “important” to the right ones and mean it. Dismissing the paths you’re not willing to go ’til the end allows us to follow the right path to its end and invest the effort that is necessary to reach our goal.

(Interestingly, your audience will often sense it when you are not willing to go all of the way.)