Message to Mr Offer.
You are indeed correct. The cables themselves are quite forgiving, even when buried under a hundred metres of mud, and various other brown substances for long periods of time (Viz, Glastonbury, Monsters of Rawk, etc!).
The connections at either end are what cause the potential problems.
Standard XLR connectors are pretty good, as are standard quarter inch jack plugs.
But, when it comes to smaller connectors, they should be treated the way you should treat a young lady on a first date....with the utmost respect!