No, it's a classic WG21 choice in that it's pointlessly worse, that's not "the way it is" it's just the way WG21 decided to define it in C++. More reasonable choices would obviously include the choice made over in std::set where lower_bound gives you a past-the-end iterator if there isn't an apparent answer for your inputs.

Undefined Behaviour is the worst choice, which is why in a horrible way it makes sense as WG21's default - a group known for always choosing bad defaults.

> You can't magically make a program well-formed if you breach preconditions

Of course you can, it's not even hard.