Hard-fought 'pearls of wisdom' (?) from a senior structural acoustician

Throughout the course of a relatively long career in science and engineering, including advanced degrees, teaching, and a host of other external technical activities, there are numerous lessons learned and perspectives gained that are frequently much more important than specific technical advice. Oftentimes, the most important and critical teachings to be passed on to fellow present and future researchers are not narrowly-focused but wide-ranging and generally applicable. The most essential of these “pearls of wisdom” are learned occasionally out of successes yet more often out of apparent failures and frustrations. Almost invariably, the most valuable information is wide-ranging and universal and independent of any particular scientific discipline or field. This paper presents numerous technical and life-/career-related lessons that are hopefully of value and interest to current and upcoming scientists, engineers, and students. In addition, time permitting, a particular specific technical case study is presented.