Title :: Never say never, Never say Always
What do I mean by absolutes? When someone says you should NEVER do something or when someone says you should ALWAYS do something. Some things make sense. If your mama said you should never run with a sharp stick, she was probably right. Of course if you don't, you'll never win the Great Sharp Stick Race!

So what would be an absolute? How about GOTO? I have said, "Never use GOTO. Never, Ever." I'm probably right. If a developer handed me a piece of code and it had GOTO in it, that developer better have a really good reason. It would take convincing that using GOTO is a good idea. But the point is that I would be willing to hear the point of view.

And that is the point of this entry. When you start making absolute statements, you start closing your mind. After doing something for a while, it's natural to feel like you are pretty much "in the know".

You already KNOW how to do that, why would you listen to another approach? You know your way works. You've probably tested several different ways over the years and know which one is easier to maintain or which one performs better. You researched it. You implemented it. You're probably right. Probably.

It's even harder when people start coming to you as "The Expert". You've done this before. You have the inside scoop. If you have several years of experience, people shouldn't argue and nitpick every suggestion or decision you make. But if someone comes to you, regardless of their experience level, you should keep an open mind. I have to admit that I sometimes have trouble with this. It does require effort at times.