I did a double take.
Andy Andrews says, “Don’t believe everything you think. What you think is what you know. And wisdom goes beyond what you know.”
For example…
It is said there really are no marital problems, only people problems that two imperfect people bring into a marriage.
After more than 50 years in radio, some at really nifty stations with free coffee, I’ve come to figure out that maybe there really are no programming problems, either; only problems that people bring into programming discussions.
They seem to fall into these key areas:
- Insecurity. Could be related to what is called “the Peter Principle”, those that are successful at a lower level but then promoted to their own “level of incompetency” where they stall out. Sounds a little harsh maybe but I think we’ve all seen it.
- Experience (or lack of). These learned programming principles decades ago and are threatened by new concepts. They tend to divert back to what they did in “the old days” because it is comfortable. Unfortunately, it is forever their frame of reference. I had one manager tell me that they embraced a certain programming philosophy because they had read a trade magazine article years ago.
- Work ethic. When someone touts a programming philosophy that ultimately means they don’t have to work hard, I know it’s not a real philosophy. The best work we do is always the hardest work we do.
“It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.”
Epictetus
To be continued…