Yeah, it's kind of how it happens. Your skills suck just a tiny bit less than of those around you, and you come to unwarranted conclusion that you are doing good.
Unfortunately, our industry has few small pockets where you can still find competent programmers every now and then, but you wouldn't see them using IDEA or VS Code. And then there's an ocean of... well, not even mediocrity, it's just hands down awful. Most programmers throughout their career will never see a competent programmer, and if they stay around will be promoted into management where they will lose the very modest skill they had. And the cycle will continue.
Unfortunately, our industry has few small pockets where you can still find competent programmers every now and then, but you wouldn't see them using IDEA or VS Code. And then there's an ocean of... well, not even mediocrity, it's just hands down awful. Most programmers throughout their career will never see a competent programmer, and if they stay around will be promoted into management where they will lose the very modest skill they had. And the cycle will continue.