Never read the book, but this is the well-published psychological factor known as locus of control. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control https://en.wi

Never read the book, but this is the well-published psychological factor known as locus of control. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locus_of_control You should probably try to give credit for the idea where credit is due. By the way, this is an important part of the growth of junior engineers into senior engineers. I've noticed junior engineers tend to identify obstacles as blockers. When asked about progress or estimates, they just talk about the blockers. Completely out of their control. Senior engineers find workarounds, solutions, alternatives.