Bingo. It's not that software engineers are stupid, it's that they don't 'see' when they do something stupid and don't have a good mental model because of that

Bingo. It's not that software engineers are stupid, it's that they don't 'see' when they do something stupid and don't have a good mental model because of that lack of sight. Everyone figures out quickly to efficiently clean out their garage or other repetitive chores because it's personally painful to do it poorly and it's right in front of your nose. If only computers were more transparent and/or people learned and used profilers daily...