Once during a job interview, when asked about an accomplishment I was personally proud of, I mentioned defeating Morgoth in Angband (the classic roguelike). I'll admit, not quite as hard as beating NetHack but it still required a lot of self control, because Cocky -> Lazy -> Stupid -> Dead.
The assessment of Cocky -> Lazy -> Stupid -> Dead is spot on. I haven't gotten super far, but my last run ended because I saw a bunch of 'C' in the next room and didn't bother checking what they were - turns out gravity hounds have a pretty good stun lock. Out of curiosity, what class were you playing?
For what it's worth, if someone told me they beat Morgoth in an interview I'd probably hire them.
