"The highest paid job in America is thinking. Some people think, many people think that they think and the vast majority would rather die than think" - Brian Tracey

Over the years I've seen that this is true. People avoid to think and make their own mind on a subject.

That's a discussion Brian Tracey in the podcast "The Miracle of Self-Discipline".

ps. By thinking of course I don't mean think about it 5 minutes while running on the park with your iPod. I mean think thoroughly, spend some time alone with no abstractions, before taking an important decision: be it a product, partnership, etc.

Working smart any day. What I meant was it does not stop there. For a programmer (or any job frankly), you have to constantly work at improving yourself. Say, if you don't keep up with the technology, a person who has gone the extra mile and done so will definitely be favored over you.