A senior overrules you / a time you were wrong
Make the change, ask one short question, dig into the rest yourself. If a concrete problem remains, raise it once, with evidence, then commit to the decision. Back it up with the frosted-lawn story.
What worked
- The frosted-lawn story: a real, checkable example of raising a concern as a question while still complying.
- Comply first, research the why in your own time. That respects the senior's time.
- The wrong-about-Tick story has the right shape: belief → evidence → changed practice.
Polish
- "Dilemmas I'll no longer have because my superior decided" can read as "I want to be told what to do". Add the other half: "If I still see a concrete problem, a bug or a perf cost, I'll raise it once, briefly, with evidence, then go with the decision."
- Juniors are expected to ask. One question saves days: "Happy to change it. Is this a project convention, or is there a specific problem with my approach?"
The trap in the Tick story
Expect a follow-up. A sub-frame timer isn't smoother than Tick. The lesson isn't "Tick is fine after all" but "the problem was never Tick, it was unnecessary per-frame work." Details on the Tick page.
"I make the change. The senior owns that call and has context I don't. I'd ask one short question if it isn't obvious, like 'convention or a specific problem?', and dig into the rest myself. If I still see a concrete issue once I understand it, I raise it once with evidence and then commit to the decision. That's what I already do at my current job." (Then the frosted-lawn story.)
Quiz yourself
What's the one short question to ask a senior?
"Happy to change it. Is this a project convention, or is there a specific problem with my approach?"
What's the risk in "I'll no longer have dilemmas because they decided for me"?
It sounds like wanting to be told what to do, and like a junior who silently complies with something broken.
Rules for disagreeing after you comply?
Only for a concrete problem (bug, perf cost). Raise it once, briefly, with evidence. Then commit.
What's the "senior" version of the Tick lesson?
"The problem was never Tick, it was unnecessary per-frame work."