We deal not with people but with their abstractions. Created and revised over time, but imperfect nonetheless for the simple reason that we are not perfect. And which means law of leaky abstractions applies (you should consider reading that essay, if you haven't already). Here's how Joel puts it, "All non trivial abstractions, to some degree are leaky". And just like in software, it causes trouble when it happens. I've seen people fighting it, but it seems to me there is no escaping it (because reality is so complex) and so a more fruitful course of action would be to expect it and then (try to?) deal with it, just as in software. And that begins with acknowledging that you are dealing with an abstraction.
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