The other day, I spoke with a former colleague about what makes a good engineer, beyond technical and communication skills. Our conversation centered on one thing: how people handle being wrong and making mistakes.
As humans, we are inherently flawed. Accepting our mistakes is the best course of action. Each mistake is a chance to learn, to correct misunderstandings, and to prevent future issues. A good engineer, and a good person, acknowledges this and handles it with humility.
As my grandmother used to say:
The moment you stop making mistakes and stop learning is the same moment you stop breathing.