Why React Components Rule

The Cursed Code Problem

You know what's great about components? I can write the absolute most cursed styling logic imaginable, and it's totally fine.

Need conditional spacing based on whether an asterisk exists? Sure, add some    nonsense with ternaries. Need to conditionally render markup based on metadata? Throw in some inline logic. Need to mix raw HTML with styled components? Do whatever works.

.tsx

{metadata.authorshipNote ? (
  <span>·&nbsp; {formatPostDate(metadata.date)}</span>
) : (
  <span>&nbsp;&nbsp;·&nbsp; {formatPostDate(metadata.date)}</span>
)}

Is this beautiful? No.
Does it work? Yes.
Is it contained? Absolutely.

Encapsulation = Freedom to Be Ugly

The whole point of components is encapsulation. That cursed    spacing logic lives in one place - ContentHeader.tsx - and the rest of my app just imports <ContentHeader /> without knowing or caring about the nightmare inside.

Contain the chaos.

The component boundary is a firewall. Inside: whatever it takes. Outside: clean interface.

Single Source of Truth

Here's the best part: I edit one component, and it's fixed on every single page.

One file. One change. Propagates everywhere. No hunting through templates, no copy-paste, no "did I update all instances?"

Fix it once, fixed everywhere.

That's the whole deal.

Use Everything

I'm not locked into React component abstractions. I can use:

• My Primitive components when they help
• Raw <span> and <div> when they don't
• Emotion's css prop for inline styles
• Conditional rendering with ternaries
• Whatever gets the job done

I'm the HTML and styling avatar. Master of all web elements.

Presentation Code is Simple Logic

Cursed formatting isn't complex logic. That conditional spacing? It's just:

.tsx

if (hasAsterisk) {
  oneSpace();
} else {
  twoSpaces();
}

No nested state. No async. No edge cases. Just "if this, then that."

Being able to reach for any tool means I solve it fast and move on.

Ugly but encapsulated beats elegant but stuck.

The Philosophy

React components let me:

1. Solve problems fast - Use whatever works
2. Contain the mess - Encapsulation keeps chaos local
3. Scale effortlessly - Single source of truth propagates everywhere
4. Stay flexible - Not locked into any one pattern

I can do cursed styling without messing anything else up. I can fix a component and see the change everywhere instantly.

That's why components rule.

The Real Point

You know what React actually gave us? Not JSX. Not hooks. Not virtual DOM.

Permission to write ugly code that works, as long as it's contained.

And that's beautiful.