I used to think that on-chain transactions were simply "who clicks first, who completes first," a straightforward sense of fairness.

Now, after learning about MEV and transaction ordering, I realize that many times it's others who help you "arrange the sequence"—the profit from cutting in line isn't just taken from someone else; more often, it's quietly erasing ordinary people's slippage, transaction prices, or even a trade that could have gone through.
To put it simply, the biggest influence isn't the big players (they'll use smarter routing), but those who just want to save effort and click once to leave.
The kind of economic collapse seen in blockchain games is somewhat similar: I used to think it was just "loss of hype," but looking back, the core issue is the same—it's about who holds the power of ordering and allocation...
Anyway, now I tend to wait a bit longer before acting on-chain, avoid rushing, use protections when possible, and keep a calm mindset.