[jeffrallen]

Also, have the humility and the generosity to assume complex code is that way for some reason. The people who came before you are not likely to be such bigger idiots than you. If something looks wacko, slow down and ask yourself how it got to be that way.

[dottedmag]

1. Get to know old developers 2. Then decide whether to have humility or not on a case-by-case basis.

There are idiots out there.

[betenoire]

When do you think humility isn't warranted?

[mqnfred]

This is a rule of thumb. You should always check your assumptions about code being correct or not. However, if somebody and their code have proven themselves unreliable, it is a useful optimization to first consider they are wrong, instead of first considering they are right (humility.)

[dragonwriter]

Whenever reviewing things to identify potential issues. If you assume (even justifiably) competence, you'll miss the real issues that exist.

OTOH, when proposing to make changes of your own, humility is definitely called for.