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> I really do think that software engineering damages you emotionally and mentally. The best software engineers that I know also the most cynical people I know
by ghurtado 10y ago
> I really do think that software engineering damages you emotionally and mentally. The best software engineers that I know also the most cynical people I know - All atheists, nihilists and pessimists.
Although I don't disagree with your statement regarding emotional consequences, I would argue that these personality traits are just as likely to be a predictor of someone that ends up becoming a software developer, rather than a side effect of doing the job for a number of years.
I can definitely speak for myself having been an atheist, nihilist and pessimist for quite a bit longer than I have been a software developer.
- jondubois 10y agoWhen I started, I was agnostic and an optimist; now I'm a pessimist athiest. Psychologically speaking, debugging forces you confront and correct flaws in your reasoning. If you do it 10 to 100 times a day for 10 years or more, I think that your reasoning skills become a lot sharper. I think you have a point though. Maybe it's more of a feedback cycle. Anyway, it's just a random thought.