I do wonder if programming and stacking shelves paid the same and had the same social status. How many people would choose to stay being employed as a programmer?
Discussion
not a lot
this helped me to map out and double down with my career thoughts
That is an insanely tough venn diagram. Sadly I think % of people who will (and could even conceivably) archive this is tiny.
i agree, but it helps with getting a better understanding, and you atleast come to an inner agreement on what you're willing to compromise
You can view ikigai as orientation, not a specific place to end up but reference for what you want. Maybe you'll get there, but knowing that you're moving towards that intersection is probably more important in the day to day in my experience.
yup, similar to living a virtuous life in stoicism, it's just an unattainable ideal which acts as a guiding torch
I recommend staying away from Passion/Love until you're willing to take huge risks and own your success or failure.
Love for your craft is often times abused by those who would get the rewards instead of you. Doing what you love is not enough. You must do it for yourself, not for others who would be satisfied with AI slop instead probably.
I'd probably still do both. I came from a long line of 12x7x365 and I don't think I know any better XD
For anybody??
Let's say the social status and pay was the same as a shelf stacker. You are being employed to code for the website of boohooman, or something you have no particular interest in (as a context, I appreciate you are interested in coding itself).
I think I see this differently. Both would be unrewarding, both in pay and in tediousness. But at least stacking shelves doesn't occupy your mind (for now lol)
programming is much more creative and less mind-numbing, so not sure you can categorise them as the same
even if you are not a fan of either
I can't really say what it's like to code really, so I'm mostly guessing there:)
But I imagine the context / purpose would matter to me, if I was coding for something I had no interest in Vs something I thought was meaningful as a whole. And it's very rare to be employed under the circumstances of the latter lol.
people accustom to situations a lot, and if one of two is mandatory, then you'll learn to like the job, unless you just love the masochism
I think these concepts have changed dramatically over the past 2ish decades.
Computers are a means to an end. Always have been. Just the next step in technology. Including automation and tools to help us in the real world. In a way I think it's become anthropomorphized for a lack of a better term.
I truly think it people need to be reminded it's simply a tool that lets a human control one or more machines that interact with users. We want the outcome, that is the machine does things humans can't do, or don't want to do. Such as consistent repetitive task. Or even more specifically, if a formula exists, or can be defined for how something gets done, a machine can do it. I think this is/should be the basis for all AI for example.
So to your point, and I've been called out on this before. It's about building things, not the tool used to build things. So if all was equal, I'd hope everyone would jump ship on both professions.
And to my other point, I think most people, at least in my life with the exception of a couple really close friends, they see the work they do as nothing more than a means to make it to the weekend. They put on their suite, sit in rush hour traffic, and "enjoy" their salaries and PTO, but it's all the same to me. The world is a much bigger place.
Sorry this topic just really got me.
Finally, I'm someone who's extensively spoken about programming being just another trade at this point, and honestly in my area a lower paid one. In a lot of ways, innovation isn't expected, nor being built. Science isn't being explored.
So again I think I'd like to confirm this by suggesting they already are equal. Maybe not stocking shelves, but fixing pipes, installing toilets, or repairing machines. Most get trained on how to do the work, few apply that knowledge to provide innovation.
Something I usually say is, id rather be the one writing the manual than reading it.
If I wasn't interested in the work, than it's just a means to an end. I must not occupy my mind, because whatever I'm doing after stacking shelves is what will occupy my time.
Given in this scenario, programming being equally unrewarding, I wouldn't be doing either. Period. I don't find programming itself rewarding either, it's also a means to an end in a way. I'm not a programming and never have been professionally. It's a tool to satisfy my need to build things.
I may be arrogant, but like many, I believe I was put on this earth for more than sitting at a desk, or stocking shelves, but I'm not above either. That said.
if both are equally unrewarding, and have the same social/economic status, then it comes down to more simple things i think. Id rather work with my hands and have my brain idle for the work after my job. I'm not a desk person, and I don't like building other people's things. It's that simple.
yeah, for some, work is their passion and hobby, for others it's just something that funds it
Yeah and I do really get how that happens, and everyone's opportunities are different. I just personally don't want to live my life "working for the weekend" if I can help it. Not everyone gets that choice. My hobbies have become work, and I've really enjoyed that, and am thankful for that in some ways. I just think it might be possible to have both. Something that really brings you happiness to do, and at the same time brings you professional fulfillment.
It may be extreme, but life isn't worth living to me if I have to spend more time doing something I don't enjoy just to afford to escape to something I do.
I also really enjoy having continuous opportunity to help people, and I don't like things getting in the way of that.
There was a time when programming paid reasonably, but not exceptionally well and the median quality of code was far higher. Prestige and pay attracts the disinterested.
masive demand and propaganda lead into a demand shock and an overall decrease in passion and quality of code
therefore leading to a shock in senior software engineers
To be fair though. If your situation is honest I can relate. There is so much pull, and for me, no shortage of people telling you what you should do. I've recently learned to free myself from that, but it's a weird spot to be in. But that chat really sums it up. I'm glad their is a diagram to put to my words. There is always a struggle with, what I'm good at, what's valuable to others, what fills my pockets, and what I really enjoy doing. I currently working under the assumption that I'd rather pay that price now than later if I can.