A common illusion
The console often gives the impression that everything happens linearly. Logs appear one after another in a reassuring order.
But this order is a reconstruction, not always a faithful representation of real time.
Display versus execution
Displaying a log and executing code are not exactly the same thing. Delays, queues, and internal optimizations play a role.
This gap is subtle, but enough to mislead.
When timing really matters
- janky animations
- race conditions
- inconsistent state
In these cases, relying only on log order can be misleading.
Going back to context
As discussed in the article about async logs, time is often the key.
Reading the console with this caution helps avoid false reasoning.