When the network is congested, I automatically think of that "mempool queue chart"… Your transaction isn't actually confirmed immediately; it's first sent to a large waiting room: nodes hold onto it, and miners/validators choose which to include in the block. The higher the tip (gas) you give, and the more "favorable" the rules, the easier it is to be picked up; giving less isn't a failure, just means you stay in line longer, possibly get bumped out later, or you get impatient and increase your bid, cancel, and resend. What's more frustrating is that during this time, you think "I've already bought/sold," but in reality, you're still in the waiting room, and your mindset can easily blow up.

Recently, Meme + celebrity shoutouts cause even more obvious attention shifts; the more this happens, the more people crowd the same door. When newcomers get excited, they also bear the congestion cost of the last leg… To put it simply, don’t just focus on the price, first check where your transaction is in the chain. What about you?