A bent nail can be hammered straight, but it’s never quite as strong. Do it right the first time when you can.

Some repairs restore the shape without restoring the strength. A straightened nail looks fine and is weak exactly where the bend was, which is the honest picture for plenty of fixed things: the rushed assignment patched up afterwards, the apology that worked but left a seam. Repair is genuinely worth doing. It is just not the same as never having bent it.

Where you can afford the extra ten minutes this week, take them: read the instructions, measure twice, ask before you guess. Where something is already bent, straighten it and keep an eye on that spot.