I'm a Programmer and I'm Stupid | Hacker News Reader

I'm a Programmer and I'm Stupid

antonz.org

14 pointsingve9 comments

> I use the simplest mainstream language available (Go) and very basic Python.

I'm too dumb to roll without a good first-class type checker.

> I write simple (though sometimes verbose) code that is easy to understand and maintain. I avoid deep abstractions

Insisting on writing "simple" code (insofar as I think this word is intended) is what leads to deep abstractions - E.g. shirking something "complex" like matrix multiplication and instead writing something "simple" like nested for-loops with multiplication and addition.

> always choose composition over inheritance ... I prefer flat data structures whenever possible.

Well these are at least in tension if not contradictory.

> I only use generics when absolutely necessary.

I use them whenever possible. Even ignoring code reuse and generality (the usual benefits associated) they drop the complexity by disallowing the generic code to know anything about your type. No peeking, poking or prodding of your data type or typr-specific behaviour. A promise<t> will remain a promise<t>, without the runtime deciding to flatten the promises behind your back.

As they say, Keep It Simple Stupid !

I completely share the feeling of stupid - the more experience I have, the dumber I feel - in the sense that I know that I don't fully understand a lot of things. On the plus side, I also see that most people understand them even less !

It's kind of like you are a kid and you think that adults have everything figured out, they are responsible citizens etc. And then you grow up...

The most healthy approach is probably to compare yourself to yourself N years ago, not to others. Comparing yourself to others will always leave you disappointed.

But it's easier said than done. Especially if you read HN :)

I didn't mean it like in - compare to others. It was more like an observation - hey, I feel stupid but I see I'm definitely not alone.

And yeah, comparing myself to N years ago - I can't image how stupid I was ! (And it does actually feel good !)

> The most healthy approach is probably to compare yourself to yourself N years ago

Absolutely.

It wasn't him, but this is often attributed to Mark Twain:

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”

I'm working in a role that is far from my passion and educational background and I feel stupid very often. I know this isn't the point of the article, but I also wanted to share.

That inner conversation and mental rehearsal that I have with ideas that I find interesting totally isn't there.

Working like this typically creates additional cognitive load because you have to constantly convince yourself that it's okay, you can handle it, it's just a job, etc. It also increases the risk of burnout.

So yeah, it's a pretty tough deal.

Smart is what you get to be after making a million STUPID mistakes and fixing them.

More discussion here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39626276

Reply on news.ycombinator.com