Why do we fetishize exaltation?

I’ve been looking at my data logs recently, and something doesn't add up.

We talk about exalted planets like they’re golden tickets to success. If Saturn is exalted in Libra, why are some of the most difficult lives I’ve tracked still happening under that placement?

It’s almost like we’re ignoring the mechanics of the chart for the sake of a happy story. Is exaltation actually about ease, or is it just about high-intensity output?

A planet in its own sign or a friendly sign often shows more consistent, usable results than an exalted one that’s getting hammered by malefic aspects.

I’m tired of the bias that says a planet is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ based on a single dignity score. When I run my numbers on the Vyom app, the math rarely supports the ‘exaltation equals greatness’ myth.

If the dispositor is weak, that exalted planet is just a fancy engine with no gas. Does anyone else see this, or are we just repeating what we read in the textbooks from three centuries ago?

Let’s look at the actual evidence.