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> Moreover, I hope nobody after age 29 actually lives and breathes code, even if they really like programming Why 29, that feels like a really arbitrary cutoff

> Moreover, I hope nobody after age 29 actually lives and breathes code, even if they really like programming Why 29, that feels like a really arbitrary cutoff. Are people in their 20s not allowed work-life balance?

ravenstine 3y ago
I could have said 30, but I felt like saying 29 because that's the point where some people think "oh no, my 20s are about to end."
regular_trash 3y ago
To me, this comment seems to use age as a proxy for determining how far someone is in their "career journey". It may be more understandable for someone to get the experience of "living and breathing code" early on, while it's harder to see what might motivate a person to continue doing so after gathering a decade or more of experience in the IT profession.
sophacles 3y ago
I read it less as a proscription against work-life balance and more as an excuse for those who are enthusiastic and young. Someone in their 20s is still new to their career, and it's exciting to be paid to do this thing you would be doing for free anyway... its totally understandable if that person dives into the deep-end and is totally immersed for a while. There's also just the exuberance of youth - one thing I miss most about my 20s is the ability to get excited about something and go head-first into it. Some combination of age and random other responsibilities and concerns that one picks up over the years makes that much harder in my middle age. Some people (like me) tend to need to learn the hard way - the downside of going hard at work all the time was a lesson I needed to experience. It's better I did it young than now, I'm not nearly resilient enough anymore to make that mistake.
- ravenstine 3y ago
  I agree. I don't regret the passion and vigor that I had in my 20s. To an extent, I don't even regret the times I put in more effort than I should have, especially when working for real jerk bosses. It was an experience that I needed to have. On the other side of the coin, I've lived enough years in my 30s and have met enough 30-somethings and beyond to conclude that, besides rare exceptions, having the same "passion" when you're no longer that young is probably not the best thing for most people. If the fact that your company doesn't actually value excellence or that your coworkers aren't interested enough still bothers you if you're older than 30 then it's a sign to start caring less. If I cared as much in my 30s as I did in my 20s about workplace excellence, I'd be fat, single, and friendless. Just saying. It's not like that for everyone, but I think everyone should consider whether that's true for them.

ravenstine 3y ago

I could have said 30, but I felt like saying 29 because that's the point where some people think "oh no, my 20s are about to end."

regular_trash 3y ago

To me, this comment seems to use age as a proxy for determining how far someone is in their "career journey". It may be more understandable for someone to get the experience of "living and breathing code" early on, while it's harder to see what might motivate a person to continue doing so after gathering a decade or more of experience in the IT profession.

sophacles 3y ago

I read it less as a proscription against work-life balance and more as an excuse for those who are enthusiastic and young. Someone in their 20s is still new to their career, and it's exciting to be paid to do this thing you would be doing for free anyway... its totally understandable if that person dives into the deep-end and is totally immersed for a while. There's also just the exuberance of youth - one thing I miss most about my 20s is the ability to get excited about something and go head-first into it. Some combination of age and random other responsibilities and concerns that one picks up over the years makes that much harder in my middle age. Some people (like me) tend to need to learn the hard way - the downside of going hard at work all the time was a lesson I needed to experience. It's better I did it young than now, I'm not nearly resilient enough anymore to make that mistake.

ravenstine 3y ago
I agree. I don't regret the passion and vigor that I had in my 20s. To an extent, I don't even regret the times I put in more effort than I should have, especially when working for real jerk bosses. It was an experience that I needed to have. On the other side of the coin, I've lived enough years in my 30s and have met enough 30-somethings and beyond to conclude that, besides rare exceptions, having the same "passion" when you're no longer that young is probably not the best thing for most people. If the fact that your company doesn't actually value excellence or that your coworkers aren't interested enough still bothers you if you're older than 30 then it's a sign to start caring less. If I cared as much in my 30s as I did in my 20s about workplace excellence, I'd be fat, single, and friendless. Just saying. It's not like that for everyone, but I think everyone should consider whether that's true for them.