At what point is it fair to say that something doesnt work?

Do you realized after so many times that its not working and thats when you give up?

How many times?

Or

Do you keep letting it not work until it breaks and then you say "well that didnt work."?

Is it like a broken pencil? Never again the same, though sometimes it could still be made new and work again. Just. Differently?

Or is it like machinery? Just switch out a part for a new one, and then the whole thing is good as new.

Am i a pencil? Are you? Are we both machines?
Can we even be fixed at all?