It is a paradoxical but profoundly true and important principle of life that the most likely way to reach a goal is to be aiming not at that goal itself but at some more ambitious goal beyond it.

Toynbee’s remark frames achievement as an indirect consequence of aspiration. The “paradox” is that fixating narrowly on a single target can constrain imagination, risk-taking, and resilience; by contrast, orienting oneself toward a larger, more demanding purpose tends to mobilize greater effort and creativity, making the nearer goal more attainable as a by-product. The principle also implies a moral or civilizational dimension consistent with Toynbee’s historical thinking: societies (and individuals) flourish when animated by expansive ideals rather than by minimal, self-contained objectives. In this view, ambitious ends function like a guiding horizon—never fully reached, yet practically enabling progress.