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Ask HN: Did learning to program cause you to lose interest in most other things?
In particular, did you lose interest in other hobbies and school subjects?
- throwaway49593 4y agoYes, I used to tinker with electronics, liked chemistry and biology... But since I was 10-12 or so I have been fully consumed by programming, doing it practically every day since then, at least few lines (am 27 now). Even at summer camps I'd be programming - on paper if I had to, but usually I was able to smuggle a computing device with a sufficient shell. The only thing I liked before programming that I'm still doing today is reading (mostly scifi focused on the advances of computer technology...).
- lfciv 4y agoProgramming can be pretty intensive and hard to turn off from a brain bandwidth standpoint. I feel like sometimes when I'm not actively coding I'm still thinking through/distracted by problems from earlier in the day or week. That being said, I still try to keep up with my musical interests. Maybe a hot take, but I also think that over time coding makes you less casually/mindlessly social. Or maybe that's just getting older...
- uejfiweun 4y agoI wouldn't say so - I still enjoy learning about international relations, history, finance, things like that. I did however have a lot less patience for dumb core requirement classes once I declared my CS major in college.