It's not the instrument

In high school band, students who have difficulty with some note or fingering often complain about their instruments not working properly.  Band directors like to then joke, "Oh, sure.  Blame the instrument."  The presumption being, of course, that there was nothing wrong with the instrument.  The problem was with the operator.

The directors were usually right.

I think this lesson applies to a lot of things other than music.  We humans tend to make rationalizations for our own shortcomings.  We're always looking to blame anyone but ourselves.  It's only human nature, of course, and it's not going to change.  But I think it's something we should be aware of in a "self-aware" sort of way.  It's something we should try to avoid.  Because you can't solve a problem until you've accurately identified the cause of the problem.

Most of the time, it's not the instrument.  It's the player doing something wrong.