I have to admit, some of the absolute best programmers I've personally known, seemed to share these qualities: - Natural curiosity, exploring all kinds of tech

I have to admit, some of the absolute best programmers I've personally known, seemed to share these qualities: - Natural curiosity, exploring all kinds of technical / scientific topics - not necessarily programming alone. - Extreme eagerness to learn. I'm absolutely not the kind of guy that can just immerse myself in technical books, but these guys are the types that would dedicate their spare time to really read and understand relevant literature. - Intellectual acumen to easily pick up concepts. This was especially apparent when you studied with them - and could see how they compared to the rest. While others would struggle with some topics for weeks, even months, some of these would pick them up in the mater of hours. But I also think this is equally due to having strong background, and really knowing the fundamental stuff. - Strong discipline. Showed up to work / school / etc. every day, put in all their hours. Little slacking around. - Willingness to discuss and teach others. On the contrary to the "arrogant genius" stereotype, most of the really strong people I know have been eager to teach or show - at least as long as the interest has been genuine. Probably forgetting a lot of stuff - but those have been some of the patterns I've noticed. The really good programmers and engineers I know have spanned from high-school drop-outs to research scientists.