In these sources, “goals” functions both literally and figuratively, conveying everything from physical sports targets to lofty political or spiritual aims. In works concerned with warfare and propaganda, such as Psychological Warfare, “goals” denotes desired outcomes that guide military strategy and information campaigns [1][2][3][4]. By contrast, in sporting accounts “goals” can be the literal posts or the act of scoring, underscoring competition and skill [5][6][7]. Philosophical texts often use “goals” to capture moral or existential objectives, whether they be the highest human ideals or life’s deeper purposes [8][9][10][11]. And in spiritual works like Siddhartha, “goals” imply internal quests for meaning and transcendence [12][13][14]. Thus, across genres, “goals” symbolizes tangible achievements, moral aspirations, and everything in between.