[ahartmetz]

I think you're somewhat taking down a strawman here. Some practices (e.g. using source control, being super extra careful about state changes) are indeed almost always best, and it's rather likely that you'll also learn when to use them for the best practices you do learn. We're - so I hope - not talking about some nonsense like learning design patterns by heart or some such.

[gdulli]

Using source control is basic and vague, the specific practices around it you might be tempted to call an education are just as subject to getting lost in dogma vs. developing personal wisdom as anything else.