“If it’s dumb, but it works, it isn’t dumb.” My uncle.
Corrollary: If it’s brilliant, but it doesn’t work, it isn’t brilliant.
I was trying to solve a physical problem–a wiring problem to be exact–last night, and having troubles. There is an orthodox way to solve the problem, but required a tool I didn’t have. I kept failing, then a little lightbulb went off and I noticed a consistent pattern that nobody told me to look for. I treated it as a valid, and POOF the problem disappeared.
There is always some track people tell you to follow, but there is always more information available, that is hidden to all but the attentive. If the pattern is consistent, then it exists, and if it is useful then use it. No other justification is needed.