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I was in a rut for a couple of years. Here was my solution: 1. Own your space. That's it. Don't let other people define you. What this means in practice:

I was in a rut for a couple of years. Here was my solution: 1. Own your space. That's it. Don't let other people define you. What this means in practice: * Don't take a job if you know its filled with stupid people. An an example I love writing JavaScript/TypeScript applications. I super love it, but I will never do it for work ever again. Most people who write that code for a living suck at what they do and are hostile/insecure about it. I would rather flip burgers than work at an adult day-care parenting the toddlers who are too incapable to use a ruler or write an email. * Always achieve supervisor support. Know your boundaries and always support your boss because you expect them to support you. If your leadership sucks, or worse is toxic, you are in a bad situation. I would gladly take less pay to work with fantastic people. In my case I am in management and work with another manager. That other manager was toxic so I, as politely as possibly, told him to go fuck himself and immediately made my boss aware. * Be ethical. If you are in management be a shining example for your people to follow. Never assign tasks to your people you are not willing to do yourself, even if its scrubbing shit out of blown up toilets. Never be a hypocrite. Always be aware of and care for the emotional needs of your people. The goal is to retain your people as best you can even through stressful projects. * Do what makes sense. Most people, surprisingly, are incapable of this. Most people strive for what they perceive as externally validated solutions from peers they have never met. This is autistic bullshit that drives people to hate you. Instead, follow the evidence and save your team from other people's insanity. Doing these, especially the first 2, are what pulled me out of my rut.

brandgefahr 4mo ago
Considering your comment history is nothing but autism bashing (which I was recently diagnosed with), I think it's interesting that you would leave a comment. I'll share my opinions with you on the four points you mentioned in order to start a conversation. 1. This reads like satire to me. I'm not sure if your anecdotal evidence (n=1) even counts. Let me give you a counterexample. In my previous/first job after college, there were several colleagues who, based on your comment history, matched your criteria for competence (deep understanding, solving edge cases, broad knowledge). 2. That's a reasonable point. However, it is unclear to me how you were assisting your supervisor by "politely telling your other manager to screw themselves." 3. Thanks, noted. Although, I will not be in a managerial position in the near future (if at all). 4. You're absolutely right to "do what makes sense," but how is the inability to do so "autistic bullshit"? Care to elaborate? After reading your comment again, I'm not sure if YOU read my post past the title because you didn't even answer my questions. Anyway, thanks for the reply.
- austin-cheney 4mo ago
  Its not satire and its not for everyone. When I say JavaScript developers are generally incompetent it does not mean an absolute 100% of everybody who touches a keyboard should face a firing squad. Its an industry average and its a fair personal opinion backed by observation and employment data. Yes, my direct opinions may make some people super duper sad, but I suspect those people are saddened by many things both on and off the computer as well as is the nature of sensitivity/fragility. 2. My manager would rather see it from me first with evidence instead of hear about it from toxic people who spread rumors when they cannot be inconvenienced by evidence. Evidence and measures are important for many things and yet some people struggle with this eternally to their own grave disadvantage. 4. Large scale self-reported surveys indicate that about a third of people who write JavaScript primarily for their profession are on the spectrum. Through most of my career I realized things were odd, but did not consider autism a factor because I was unfamiliar with it outside of work. Then suddenly I became very familiar with autism in the personal world. Once you learn to see it and learn the indications you cannot unsee it. When you encounter it, its as if it glows in the dark. Autism is a mixed bag and people with autism can be quite talented in a variety of ways. One of the most common unifying indications of autism is generalized, constant, and pervasive anxiety that is typically minor but always present and cannot be switched off. Its a natural response to decision collision. This becomes more clear when you read about the neuro-physiology of autism. People operating under anxiety typically seek comfort as a primary motivation. People who are, on the other hand, hypo-neurotic tend to abandon comfort as a motivator, thrill seekers, and instead focus on original solutions. When evidence suggests a conclusion contrary to sources of comfort my experience tells me people on the spectrum will simply abandon the evidence immediately. That is something I find exceptionally problematic. Its why autistic people almost universally prefer packaged solutions from strangers, because its something to which they can attach external validation without further evaluation. This applies to code, but it also applies to most everything else in life too, such as food.
  - brandgefahr 4mo ago
    I appreciate your thorough response. 2. It's not always possible to obtain evidence because there may be dubious strategies at work. But, in general, you're right. 4. "Large scale self-reported surveys indicate that about a third of people who write JavaScript primarily for their profession are on the spectrum" Source? All I could find was https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022 https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022, which indicates 3.7% for autism, though it's unclear for autism AND frontend. "One of the most common unifying indications of autism is generalized, constant, and pervasive anxiety that is typically minor but always present and cannot be switched off." Since autism is different for everyone, I wouldn't say that this is a sign that all autistic people share. "When evidence suggests a conclusion contrary to sources of comfort my experience tells me people on the spectrum will simply abandon the evidence immediately." I cannot confirm that, as individuals on the autism spectrum tend to be highly analytical. "Its why autistic people almost universally prefer packaged solutions from strangers, because its something to which they can attach external validation without further evaluation." Evidence? In general, I believe that people should not be put in boxes but should be worked with. What is preventing us from working together to find a solution?

brandgefahr 4mo ago

Considering your comment history is nothing but autism bashing (which I was recently diagnosed with), I think it's interesting that you would leave a comment. I'll share my opinions with you on the four points you mentioned in order to start a conversation. 1. This reads like satire to me. I'm not sure if your anecdotal evidence (n=1) even counts. Let me give you a counterexample. In my previous/first job after college, there were several colleagues who, based on your comment history, matched your criteria for competence (deep understanding, solving edge cases, broad knowledge). 2. That's a reasonable point. However, it is unclear to me how you were assisting your supervisor by "politely telling your other manager to screw themselves." 3. Thanks, noted. Although, I will not be in a managerial position in the near future (if at all). 4. You're absolutely right to "do what makes sense," but how is the inability to do so "autistic bullshit"? Care to elaborate? After reading your comment again, I'm not sure if YOU read my post past the title because you didn't even answer my questions. Anyway, thanks for the reply.

austin-cheney 4mo ago
Its not satire and its not for everyone. When I say JavaScript developers are generally incompetent it does not mean an absolute 100% of everybody who touches a keyboard should face a firing squad. Its an industry average and its a fair personal opinion backed by observation and employment data. Yes, my direct opinions may make some people super duper sad, but I suspect those people are saddened by many things both on and off the computer as well as is the nature of sensitivity/fragility. 2. My manager would rather see it from me first with evidence instead of hear about it from toxic people who spread rumors when they cannot be inconvenienced by evidence. Evidence and measures are important for many things and yet some people struggle with this eternally to their own grave disadvantage. 4. Large scale self-reported surveys indicate that about a third of people who write JavaScript primarily for their profession are on the spectrum. Through most of my career I realized things were odd, but did not consider autism a factor because I was unfamiliar with it outside of work. Then suddenly I became very familiar with autism in the personal world. Once you learn to see it and learn the indications you cannot unsee it. When you encounter it, its as if it glows in the dark. Autism is a mixed bag and people with autism can be quite talented in a variety of ways. One of the most common unifying indications of autism is generalized, constant, and pervasive anxiety that is typically minor but always present and cannot be switched off. Its a natural response to decision collision. This becomes more clear when you read about the neuro-physiology of autism. People operating under anxiety typically seek comfort as a primary motivation. People who are, on the other hand, hypo-neurotic tend to abandon comfort as a motivator, thrill seekers, and instead focus on original solutions. When evidence suggests a conclusion contrary to sources of comfort my experience tells me people on the spectrum will simply abandon the evidence immediately. That is something I find exceptionally problematic. Its why autistic people almost universally prefer packaged solutions from strangers, because its something to which they can attach external validation without further evaluation. This applies to code, but it also applies to most everything else in life too, such as food.
- brandgefahr 4mo ago
  I appreciate your thorough response. 2. It's not always possible to obtain evidence because there may be dubious strategies at work. But, in general, you're right. 4. "Large scale self-reported surveys indicate that about a third of people who write JavaScript primarily for their profession are on the spectrum" Source? All I could find was https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022 https://survey.stackoverflow.co/2022, which indicates 3.7% for autism, though it's unclear for autism AND frontend. "One of the most common unifying indications of autism is generalized, constant, and pervasive anxiety that is typically minor but always present and cannot be switched off." Since autism is different for everyone, I wouldn't say that this is a sign that all autistic people share. "When evidence suggests a conclusion contrary to sources of comfort my experience tells me people on the spectrum will simply abandon the evidence immediately." I cannot confirm that, as individuals on the autism spectrum tend to be highly analytical. "Its why autistic people almost universally prefer packaged solutions from strangers, because its something to which they can attach external validation without further evaluation." Evidence? In general, I believe that people should not be put in boxes but should be worked with. What is preventing us from working together to find a solution?