Words of Wisdom from a Systems Engineer

Over the years I have adopted many mantras that help me overcome new challenges. I plan to document those mantras here and will provide citations where possible.

“Print until it makes sense.”

When facing a challenging problem in code add breakpoints where you print anything and everything related to the code. Armed with enough information the problem will eventually become obvious.

“Everyone has their own demons.”

Always remember that everyone faces their own problems and shortcomings. Often times a potental conflict is rooted in these problems rather than an actual conflict. Simply approach things differently and don’t judge too harshly.

“Disagreement is not the same conflict.”

Often times people conflate disagreement and conflict. While these are obviously not the same thing, it is all too common for someone to feel slighted if others disagree with a proposed approach/solution. This is an opportunity for one or both parties to learn and should not be taken personally.

“Information is cheap.”

In our modern world information is abundant and readily available. Do not concern yourself with memorization and instead focus on how things work.