There are moments when you stare at your screen and think, it worked perfectly in the simulation. In theory, this should be correct. And then the installation bluntly proves you wrong.
In moments like that, humor helps. Self-deprecation. The recognition that perfection is a concept, not a reality. That engineering is not an exact science, but applied wisdom under less-than-ideal circumstances.
I've learned to laugh at my own assumptions. And to appreciate the down-to-earth remarks such as:
“It's been doing that since day one; why would it suddenly start listening today?”