Once upon a time a lawyer decided to train to get a pilot licence. He was rich and bought his own aircraft in which to do the training.
During training his wise and experienced instructor explained to the lawyer the difference between the best angle of climb speed and the best rate of climb speed. But because the concept didn’t make sense to the lawyer, and because the lawyer knew he was smarter than the instructor - who was only a pilot - the lawyer decided that the way to keep increasing the rate of climb was to keep increasing the pitch attitude of the aircraft.
The instructor tried to explain why the lawyer’s reasoning was misguided, and that the laws of physics dictated best angle and best climb speeds. The lawyer would have none of it and said he would demonstrate why the instructor was wrong. The instructor expressed the view that the lawyer would crash and burn, and urged him not to do what he was proposing to do. Undeterred and unaccompanied by the instructor, the lawyer taxied out.
After take off the aircraft climbed steeper and steeper, and slower and slower, until it stalled, spun, then crashed and burned as predicted, before making even the far end of the runway. The instructor shrugged and thought: At least I tried.
The next day the instructor walked into the office of a lawyer and gave instructions as to changes to the legislation governing the regulation of aviation. The wise and experienced lawyer explained to the instructor why the changes wouldn’t work, as they made no sense, and there were process and political considerations that meant the intended outcome could be achieved by taking a different approach. The lawyer tried to explain how to achieve the outcome the instructor wanted. But because the instructor knew he had lots more experience in aviation than the lawyer, and the lawyer knew nothing about aviation, the instructor pressed for the changes to be made his way. The lawyer expressed the view that the changes would crash and burn. But the instructor would have none of it.
The proposed changes to the legislation crashed and burned before making it even into the parliament. The lawyer shrugged and thought: At least I tried.