🫂 Don't force yourself with programming 🫂

# [ $davids.sh ] · message #237

• @ [ $davids.sh ] · # 1396

  Honestly? I very often think about changing my profession. And this happens at least once a year for the past 5 years.

  Yes, programming doesn't require a lot of physical strength, yes, it gives enough freedom and time, yes, it pays well, BUT it drains so many mental juices out of you that freedom, time, and money simply stop bringing pleasure because you don't have enough emotional energy to use them.

  I haven't encountered as many "dead inside" people as in programming (well, maybe musicians too, but they use it for creativity, and programmers don't).

  Conditionally, it's better to earn $1000 and spend $100 of it with pleasure while constantly striving for more, than to earn $5000 and not want to get out of bed.

  I've heard there's statistics showing that chemists and physicists suffer from mental illnesses less often than theoretical mathematicians. This is because the former often interact with the real world (when building structures or working with chemical elements), while the latter spend so much time in the world of abstractions that they lose touch with the material world and stop finding themselves in it.

  So, programming is the same as theoretical mathematics; we constantly live in a world of abstractions that differs from the real world as much as natural physics differs from quantum physics (i.e., completely).

  But why do I keep doing it then?

  And here's one specific answer: I f***ing love the process and the result of solving problems.

  I've been playing Divinity Original Sin 2 non-stop for several weeks: I've started it over 7 times, I've read over 100 articles, and watched tens of hours of videos on builds just to find and test builds that would allow me to beat it with 1-2 characters instead of 4.

  I was getting tired of it, but I could wake up in the middle of the night and go try a new build until I finally found 2 unconventional combinations that I really liked.

  So, programming is a search, a search for a way to solve a specific problem with an indefinite number of tools.

  I get angry when I can't figure it out, I constantly try new things. If I don't see anything new, I sit for hours reading articles, books, and watching videos to find this "new." If I see that I don't know something, it irritates me so much that I can't not learn it.

  All of this creates the high.

  And the most interesting thing is that programming, in this case, is more of a tool than a reason. The reason is the thought: "What do you mean I can't solve this logic puzzle?" – and most likely, if I weren't a programmer, I would have found another profession where I would also have to solve problems of a similar nature.

  And now, from old man ramblings, we move on to advice for beginners:

  I believe the most universal advice that will help you check if programming is for you is: come up with something you want to develop and start developing it.

  No courses, no mentors, no attempts to "find a suitable market," just without all that bullshit, take the wildest idea you can think of that could be programmed and start doing it.

  Courses, mentors, books, languages – these are just tools, and in the process of solving your task, you will try different ones, find what you need, and start applying it.

  If, after six months, you haven't been able to sit your ass down to start coding something, then IT'S NOT FOR YOU AND THANK GOD.

  I'm sure that if I had spent the same amount of effort on something else instead of programming, I would have been just as successful in it.

  The main thing is to find your style (of work / life / clothes / leisure / etc.).

  I wish you luck in finding it.

• @ Kirill Arutyunov · # 1397

  "Grandfather programmer" lifestyle

• @ Arsen IT-K Arakelyan · # 1398

  That's true, but in many countries, there simply aren't other sectors and a whole class of jobs where you can earn €$£ and live well in your own country.

  That's why many go into it, due to a relatively easy social elevator.

  So I don't think we should close the path for such people who don't have a truly strong interest in development.

• @ FatShibe · # 1399

  In my opinion, in the West, programmers are the middle class, and they earn as much as manual laborers.

• @ Arsen IT-K Arakelyan · # 1400

  Yes, that's all correct. If you're not a super-talented salesperson and don't work at FAANG, it's the same in Europe, Australia, and the Northern countries too.

  I'm in Germany now, and a mid-level specialist's salary here is €60-75k per year. But after taxes, that's €2900-3700 per month.

  That's why I specified "in some countries." CIS, South America, parts of Asia.

• @ Leijona · # 1414

  Have you ever worked with programmers who have ADHD? Suddenly I had this question.

• @ [ $davids.sh ] · # 1416

  Once confirmed and a couple of times with suspicion

  Usually, these were people who were maximally focused on programming, but could get distracted too quickly on other topics

• @ Amvrosova Lena (GMT+9) · # 1433

  The topic "come up with whatever you want to create and create it" is a really cool topic. And not just in development, but in general. According to the tradition of Japanese Ikigai, one way to find your "own" thing is to look at the world, understand what you're missing in it, and try to bring it in. As a rule, this is where the secret to the pleasure of work lies, but not only there!

  Temperament and personality traits are something people don't think about when choosing a profession, and they shouldn't! If a person is phlegmatic and introverted, routine work with minimal communication and maximum "tinkering" can be a real pleasure – I've met such people. From the outside, to the average person, they might seem strange \ depressed \ gloomy – but that's just an impression. I'm not saying all sad programmers are like that, but they can't be excluded as they make up a significant portion of the statistics.

  And the flip side – if a person is extroverted, choleric, with low emotional stability, doesn't really like details and looks at the big picture more – programming will most likely become one of their personal hells.

• @ [ $davids.sh ] · # 1435

  By the way, about "extroversion" and "introversion," there's another interesting aspect: there are very strange mixes. For example, I know for sure that I'm an "introvert" (I don't like interacting with people unnecessarily), but from time to time I get hit with a "narcissistic hunger," which makes it important for me to go out in public and get attention.

  Essentially, during moments of narcissistic surge, people get the impression that I'm an extreme extrovert, but after attempting further personal interaction, they are surprised why I might not reply for weeks.

  For example, this channel is perhaps my way to "perform" both appropriately and in front of people, which is why I love writing and everyone who leaves emojis and comments 😘

• @ Amvrosova Lena (GMT+9) · # 1436

  There are no contradictions here. Extroversion means you need to "consume" people, meaning you gain energy from socializing. Introversion means you need to "feed" people – you socialize and give away energy. But life is movement; sometimes you have a lot of energy and need to give it away, and then an introvert goes out into the world. An extrovert, having socialized so much, gets overstimulated and goes to tell stories.