Just checked the on-chain records again and saw that feeling of clearly clicking to swap, but being "cut in line" and losing a bit of slippage... To put it simply, MEV and ordering are not actually most affected by big players, but rather by us small traders who make small exchanges back and forth. The combined fees and slippage can be really painful. You might think you're trading with the pool, but you're actually racing against a bunch of people watching your order.

And recently, cross-chain bridges have had issues again, and oracle prices sometimes glitch. Everyone is huddling together in the phrase "waiting for confirmation," which in a way also implies acceptance: on-chain may not be fair, so you can only add an extra buffer yourself. I now prefer to split into smaller orders, set stricter slippage limits, and be willing to trade more slowly. Anyway, I don’t chase narratives or act impulsively; I treat my positions like slowly adjusting a coffee recipe.