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I’ve struggled with this and my solution was to quit and change career to be a tradesman, starting school again at the end of the month. A novel was written ab

I’ve struggled with this and my solution was to quit and change career to be a tradesman, starting school again at the end of the month. A novel was written about this from the relationship side in the 90’s by a webdev: Whatever by Michel Houellebecq, I haven’t read it but it’s in the mail.

throwaway85238 5y ago
Nice, I hope it works out for you! Would you mind sharing how old are you now?
- ffwacom 5y ago
  32
claudiulodro 5y ago
Just curious, what trade? I was a tradesman (upholsterer) before I was a programmer, and it had its ups and its downs. Moving the body around all day and actually improving the physical world were big highlights though!
- ffwacom 5y ago
  Electrician. Yeah working in the physical world was another aspect of the decision, I’ve been taking labouring jobs in the mean time and it’s much more social, makes me much more fit and is much more satisfying. The other comments in this thread involve piling on a second job or getting deep in a hobby, which ate up the rest of my time and never quite worked. This comment by Xenophon summed up programming for me, even though I still enjoy it: ‘Men do indeed speak ill of those occupations which are called handicrafts, and they are rightly held of little repute in communities, because they weaken the bodies of those who make their living at them by compelling them to sit and pass their days indoors. Some indeed work all the time by a fire. But when the body becomes effeminate (thelunomenos) the mind too is debilitated. Besides, these mechanical occupations (banausos) leave a man no leisure to attend to his friends' interests, or the public interest. This class therefore cannot be of much use to his friends or defend his country. Indeed, some states, especially the most warlike, do not allow a citizen to engage in these handicraft occupations.’
matt_the_bass 5y ago
“Michel Houellebecq”. I haven’t heard that name in a long time. Are you French? About 23 years ago I was discussing one of his books in an web forum for a French lit class I took. The professor knew him and Michel participated in the discussion. It was pretty cool!

throwaway85238 5y ago

Nice, I hope it works out for you! Would you mind sharing how old are you now?

ffwacom 5y ago
32

claudiulodro 5y ago

Just curious, what trade? I was a tradesman (upholsterer) before I was a programmer, and it had its ups and its downs. Moving the body around all day and actually improving the physical world were big highlights though!

ffwacom 5y ago
Electrician. Yeah working in the physical world was another aspect of the decision, I’ve been taking labouring jobs in the mean time and it’s much more social, makes me much more fit and is much more satisfying. The other comments in this thread involve piling on a second job or getting deep in a hobby, which ate up the rest of my time and never quite worked. This comment by Xenophon summed up programming for me, even though I still enjoy it: ‘Men do indeed speak ill of those occupations which are called handicrafts, and they are rightly held of little repute in communities, because they weaken the bodies of those who make their living at them by compelling them to sit and pass their days indoors. Some indeed work all the time by a fire. But when the body becomes effeminate (thelunomenos) the mind too is debilitated. Besides, these mechanical occupations (banausos) leave a man no leisure to attend to his friends' interests, or the public interest. This class therefore cannot be of much use to his friends or defend his country. Indeed, some states, especially the most warlike, do not allow a citizen to engage in these handicraft occupations.’

matt_the_bass 5y ago

“Michel Houellebecq”. I haven’t heard that name in a long time. Are you French? About 23 years ago I was discussing one of his books in an web forum for a French lit class I took. The professor knew him and Michel participated in the discussion. It was pretty cool!