When people say that the “ends justify the means,” it is usually an excuse for screwing something up and shrugging their shoulders as if to say, “Oh well, I got the result I wanted and that’s all that matters.” It reminds me of that impulse you have when you are a kid playing a practical joke that you know is probably a bad idea, but do it anyway because you want that thrill you feel after your plot, usually at someone else’s expense, has been executed. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.