I don’t know a single person that enjoys beating a dead horse (literally or figuratively). There’s nothing worse than repeatedly going down the same path and checking every which way for something wrong. With each pass, the things that are wrong get smaller and smaller while you grow familiar with the terrain surrounding you. That familiarity changes how you view everything else around you.
Taking the time to really, truly know a process means that you learn every nuance and exception. It takes time, attention, and patience. It usually causes frustration along the way because you see the same road over and over and the monotony can get overbearing. But at the end of the trip, if someone were to ask you about the subtle bend in the road, you’ll likely understand everything about the question without needing to research it.
Experts on a topic live this process their entire career. To really understand something, you have to spend a large amount of time living in a narrow world. Take a professional orchestral musician, there are no new ways to play the flute, trumpet, or trombone. The expertise comes from understanding the nuances of their particular instrument (not instrument generally, but their specific, individual instrument). They learn how to coax every ounce of performance from their instrument. They learn every little thing that can impact the performance and how to manage it. Surprise is eliminated from the process as much as possible.
Understanding everything prepares you for what may come tomorrow. When you are challenged on a particular detail, you have already examined it from every angle – you aren’t forced to ad lib at the moment. Preparedness allows you to stand as an expert and withstand questioning. It helps you know the truth from fiction and to trust the words you are saying.
You may not enjoy it, but it can often be helpful. It’s a lot like taking your medicine.