I have found the hardest part of self-learning to be finding peers and mentors, and I work in a software mecca. When I have lunch with colleagues, they don't ca

I have found the hardest part of self-learning to be finding peers and mentors, and I work in a software mecca. When I have lunch with colleagues, they don't care to talk about programming. In fact, they make fun of me. I think there may be a selection effect where many of those who are really hardcore are too busy doing to socialize. Besides that, it can be hard to communicate with others about programming because there is so much disagreement about how to do it "right". (Not that there isn't also agreement.)