I used to be like the author when I was in my 20's. I had to learn some lessons the hard way just like he did here. Take these to heart young know it alls: 1.

I used to be like the author when I was in my 20's. I had to learn some lessons the hard way just like he did here. Take these to heart young know it alls: 1. Things aren't always black and white in terms of right/wrong or better/worse. Things usually have tradeoffs, and what might seem like an obviously worthwhile tradeoff to you might not be to everybody else. 2. You're wrong way more than you think you are. Be more open minded about others' views, and don't take one instance of being right delude you into thinking you're right about everything else. Stay open to being wrong. 3. Be nice! I still have to work on this one. Even if you are 100% factually right, don't be a jerk about it. Don't be insistent that things have to go your way. There's other factors (like time and resources.) It may be unsatisfactory to hear "We don't have the time and resources to do things the Right Way(tm)." But it's reality. Every organization has to deal with that. And yes, being liked by your coworkers is as important or even more than being technically proficient. If I hate working with you, that's probably not something that can be fixed. If you lack technical skills, I can probably teach you. So I will always choose the person who is pleasant to work with over the Ultracoder 3000 who's always complaining and miserable.