I am not deluding myself since I am not making any sweeping claims about the veracity of the self-reported problems nor do I know the percentage of rMBPs that have defects. As I wrote in my previous post, we cannot know how many rMBPs have defects because Apple does not release that information to the public.
What I do know is that there are enough complaints on the various forums that I am familiar with to come to the conclusion that I am not inclined to play the Apple lottery and order an rMBP at this time.
My point is simply this: that based on personal experience going back many years and the history of defects in Revision A Apple products (particularly Apple laptops), it is prudent to postpone purchasing new products, especially when they have cutting-edge technology that hasn't been previously available in those products. If you decide to purchase such a product then you should accept the very real possibility that it may have a defect that requires a repair or replacement unit.
Unfortunately, many people have a desire to own the Latest and Greatest Apple product, whether or not they need it or can actually afford it. And forums like this one are full of Apple fanatics who encourage each other in their consumerism.
Although I can easily afford any Mac that suits my fancy, in reality I do not need the newest, fastest Mac. In fact, I rather enjoy getting my Macs at a nice discount after the hubbub dies down and most MacRumors denizens are fixated on the next Latest and Greatest Mac. I've saved up to 50% on brand new Mac models that were discontinued when a new version was released. My financial prudence is one reason I can do work that I enjoy, travel when I want and not worry about how I am going to pay my bills.