I really like this analogy! The only thing I'll add is that I don't think you necessarily have to enjoy "feeding the machine", but as you said, you need to real

I really like this analogy! The only thing I'll add is that I don't think you necessarily have to enjoy "feeding the machine", but as you said, you need to realize that it doesn't go away and that a lot of our value as software developers comes from our ability to continue to make forward progress when it happens (and sometimes even inventing a new way around it). I certainly don't always enjoy it while it's happening, but I do feel a sense of accomplishment when it's finished. This phenomenon is one also of the biggest reasons people who set out to "learn to code" end up giving up.