We’ve all seen that discussion, usually on social media, and rolled our eyes when someone flippantly dismisses criticism by saying “It works for me!”. Most of the time what they’re really saying is “I haven’t found the failure point yet”. And THAT is the the critical element! They aren’t using the proper criteria for gear selection.
In order to truly claim something works for you it means you understand its limitations, and have done an honest evaluation of your needs and skills. Which is why at best “It works for me” is an incomplete sentence, the second half of which is “because of these measurable criteria.”
In the same vein, if you’re interacting with someone who’s invoking “It works for me”, there’s the potential to use it as a teachable moment. Sometimes it’s worth asking how they came to that conclusion. Yes most of the time Dunning-Kruger will rear its ugly head, but there will be those instances where those questions will walk them down the path of discovery.
Not saying that it’s worth engaging with everybody, but if you’re going to create the opportunity to learn and improve.
