The Ends Justify The Means

( our actions are called for by this situation ... )

The "ends" are our end goals and the "means" are the specific actions we take to achieve those goals. "The ends justify the means" when the actions we take are considered acceptable because of the specific end results we want to achieve.

Example: "I would prefer to do things differently, but in this situation, the ends justify the means." This saying is often used in the negative: "I agree with your goal, but the ends do not justify the means."