#apt-get

so i try to install one package and suddenly half my system is broken. apt-get is supposed to make life easier, right? i mean, i've been using linux for a while now, but this still happens to me. anyone else have to deal with this? i was trying to install a simple app, and the next thing i know, i've got a million dependencies to update. and of course, one of them fails, and the whole thing falls apart. i swear, it's like trying to defuse a bomb. does anyone have any tips on how to avoid this? or am i just being reckless with my package installs?