Acceptable loss

An acceptable loss is a sacrifice that is deemed an acceptable cost of doing business. For instance, a church may deem the loss of members who disagree with an evangelical shift to be acceptable if the alternative is to forgo other goals. [http://ctlibrary.com/le/1998/summer/8l3038.html] Anticipated casualties in a military campaign may be held to be acceptable losses as well. [http://telephonyonline.com/software/commentary/revenue_leak_losses_091307/] A terrorist group may consider the loss of its own members in suicide attacks to be acceptable losses needed to accomplish the mission. [http://www.ralphmag.org/AZ/letters.html] The implications of the term may be summed up as "What are we willing to lose to achieve a goal?" [http://www.toandfroproductions.com/acceptabledev1.htm] During military battles, field commanders are prepared to accept the loss of up to 33% of their troops during combat. [http://cms.firehouse.com/print/Leadership-and-Command/Acceptable-Losses/5$405]

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