Let me give you one example of where I once flirted with death, and chose to leave the comfort of "all the excitement we need in the bar on overnights.", devil that I am.
I once (late 80's) took delivery of a Cessna 310R (on the British register) to be operated on my AOC in Scotland. A nice ship - fully booted, electric window and prop de-ice etc BUT the CofA said "Not cleared for flight in known or forecast icing". The type fully 'iced' in the US. I asked for the restriction to be changed - no.
Why? The necessary 'icing trials' on the 310R to satisfy good old Auntie had not been carried out. Now, my problem was, and I don't think it has changed, that icing was 'forecast' EVERY day in the Scottish FIR - a bit of a problem, really. My then Flt Ops inspector was one of the early sufferers from 'restricted timber vision' (wood and trees etc - I have other stories............) and I just KNEW my AOC, if not my ATPL, would be in peril at his next 'regular' inspection of minutiae. So, I gently enquired the cost of the 'icing trials' - and fainted. After significant to-ing and fro-ing (and those who have tried to run small AOCs will know what I mean), I FINALLY got the restriction changed to '"No flight in Known Icing conditions" (hoorah!)
You will never guess what I used to do on my flights, will you? - and I didn't crash or burn. Yes - I flew that aircraft in uncharted territory, and THAT was a restriction that was abundantly clear in its intent (and wording) too.