the.com/point of no return
The moment turning back costs more than finishing ever will.
means The stage in a journey or undertaking past which reversing course is impossible or more costly than simply continuing.
from Originally aviation jargon: the point in a flight when a plane no longer has enough fuel to turn back to its origin and must continue to its destination. The phrase lifted off into general use in the mid-20th century, especially popularized by the 1958 novel/film 'The Point of No Return,' and has since fueled countless metaphors for commitment, risk, and no-going-back decisions far from any runway.
- aviation origin
- fuel point past which landing beats returning home
- math cousin
- irreversibility is a one-way function, not a feeling
- common myth
- rarely a single dramatic moment, usually a quiet one
- decision trap
- sunk cost makes people cross it on purpose