If it's the case that you can do everything you can and still fail, how are you disagreeing with the article?
It's about moving the probably of desired outcome from zero to likely. Like, let's say op really wanted someone to "touch his genitals"- badly enough to invest a year in working on his physique, appearance, and personality. There's still no guarantee that it will work but it will move the odds tremendously.
If he does nothing, he's taking the guaranteed fail and I think that's sad.
What does this mean? Im not familiar with the term
Because for a lot of people it's really the latter, and it's no surprise when working out hard to basically buy a lottery ticket is not something they are enthusiastic about.
Trying to resolve that conflict raises a number of questions. Have you done everything you can? If there's a possibility or even likelihood that you'll fail, should you still try?