Aviatorhi, re ‘not worrying about getting to the nth-degree’.
‘Worrying’ (a state of constant concern) is an essential aspect of aviation safety; it’s not about how much you can get away with – its considering what safety margin there is, are you within that margin and is there something spare for the unknown.
The early V1 problem isn’t one of technical prowess or moral principles, it about attitude.
With an “I know better” attitude – ‘that little bit doesn’t matter, it’s not a big deal’; … then what does matter? For that you have to be able to define the limiting point and thus you need to know how the issue is derived and the consequences of any deviation.
You learn through perception, but how do you know that all perceptions and experiences are justified, or of high quality to be kept as valid experience. Perceptions have to be ‘explored’, checked, and compared before you can claim insight, understanding, and knowledge.
An ‘I know better’ attitude is a major obstruction in this process – ‘those little checks and comparisons don’t matter’.
Similarly, ‘it won’t happen to me’ attitude - it’s just not going to happen:- invulnerability?
Experience should tell you that ‘it’ happens, and when it does you have to be prepared; this means not having to considering whether you act or not at a particular speed. Continuing when ‘just below’ V1 may result in a visit to the edge of the runway, hitting runway light or clipping a wing; stopping ‘just above’ V1 may end up in the mud – plenty of time to consider the correct action then.
An assumption that the engine will ‘probably’ continue to produce thrust after failing is pure supposition – in an event, you don’t know; and what about prop malfunctions, critical engine, crosswind, or a very wet runway, you have to consider the worst case and plan for that. Some, but not all are built into the regulations.
… "losing sight of the forest but finding the trees".
When walking through a forest, knowledge of the trees (a hazard) is useful for avoiding them.
Conversely, knowledge of the clear spaces provides a safe path through the forest.
I prefer to look for both.