Yeah, certainly some of that can happen. But it seems like I see a lot more of :
A hopes for a number that is possible, but not likely — maybe like a 90th percentile quality number
We get a number that is pretty reasonable, maybe like 40th percentile
A is disspointmed.
A says “I’m disspointed with this number, even though it isn’t an objective failure.”
B says “This number isn’t bad, your number was completely unrealistic and impossible.”
A says “no, it was optimistic but possible.”
B says “no it was totally silly, just look at what the number actually end up being (doesn’t follow, btw). You’re silly for being disspointed and we’re going to laugh at for it.”
I just don’t understand what is motivating B in an exchange like this. Let people be optimistic when they want to (within reason), and let them be disspointed more often as a result. That’s their business.