What has your audiophile experience taught you about yourself?

The only important criteria is emotional involvement. Specs are meaningless. 

Integrating the room and the speakers is critical. 

Not all all equipment using the same components sounds the same. Implementation is everything. I am paying for intellectual property, not components. 

The front-electronics and amps are as or more important than speakers. 

Technology continues to improve the quality of components. 

@elizabeth 
It is not you. There are people on this site who are often wrong but never uncertain. They are smarter than everyone else, never test there theories and will not let facts interfere with their opinions. 

Good points from all. A short story-
I once had a friend (soldier buddy) who went to many of the same mobilizations and countries that I did. He had commented on the food, women, houses, clothes behavior of the people from all the places he visited stating America is so much better in all areas. He made very critical judgements, often stating facts. I mentioned he was exeriencing “ethnocentrism” and it was common for soldiers to do this when traveling abroad. I found over the years he was not interested in being introspective or learning much from others. He was sure about everything he knew about himself and the greater, bigger world around him. I often think about him when I read some comments made by audiophiles. We all can grow and learn, if we want to. If we see the education in that process and the benefit it can provide.

@elizabeth 
I thought your 6/23 8:42AM post one of the more remarkable things I've read here...and I mean that in a good way.  Thanks for writing it.  Apology accepted!  even though I personally haven't felt attacked.  Would that other writers practiced a little introspection and self-criticism.  On balance, I generally enjoy and benefit from your grounded and unpretentious approach to audio.  Yes, the "suffer no fools" attitude is a bit strong at times but not unwarranted in many cases.  There are a few consistently solid contributors to these threads.  You are definitely one of them (at least in my mind).