8 ms·

It's a rat race if you never enjoyed software engineering and computer science from the start, and joined due to the growing SWE hype in the 2010s. Most people

It's a rat race if you never enjoyed software engineering and computer science from the start, and joined due to the growing SWE hype in the 2010s. Most people in the world have to work 40+ hours a week, and on weekends. It's kinda crazy to not take your career choice in perspective, which is relatively cushy, good perks, good pay, often wfh or decent offices, and call it a rat race because... you think you deserve to earn even more money and get more recognition? Okay, don't we all...

lapcat 4y ago
> call it a rat race because... you think you deserve to earn even more money and get more recognition? Where did this come from? It wasn't in the linked article.
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alecbz 4y ago
I still love programming but often feel burnt out at my SWE job. Things like: - coworkers - working culture - autonomy - sense of ownership - sense of impact - how much you actually get to code - whether the coding you're doing is interesting can make you hate your job even if you still like programming itself.
- ablatt89 4y ago
  I think the things you listed are reasonable expectations to make someone happy for any job, but it's not what the original article seems to get at. At least from my perspective, he's dismissing software engineering as a fruitful career, humble bragging he's working at a "top investment bank" (?), and implying he's just somehow "better" than others for escaping the "matrix" despite being more "accomplished" (lol) than others.
TranquilMarmot 4y ago
I love writing code and solving problems with it. Even if this job didn't pay well and didn't come with all the amazing benefits, I would still do it. I think a lot of software engineers need to hang out with more people who are less well off than them. Befriend the grocery store clerk, talk to the mechanic fixing your car. If you're in a bubble of wealthy people, it gets really hard to appreciate the benefits that you have simply because you stop seeing them as benefits and see them instead as the status quo.
- ip26 4y ago
  It can also help with the exceptionalism.

lapcat 4y ago

> call it a rat race because... you think you deserve to earn even more money and get more recognition? Where did this come from? It wasn't in the linked article.

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alecbz 4y ago

I still love programming but often feel burnt out at my SWE job. Things like: - coworkers - working culture - autonomy - sense of ownership - sense of impact - how much you actually get to code - whether the coding you're doing is interesting can make you hate your job even if you still like programming itself.

ablatt89 4y ago
I think the things you listed are reasonable expectations to make someone happy for any job, but it's not what the original article seems to get at. At least from my perspective, he's dismissing software engineering as a fruitful career, humble bragging he's working at a "top investment bank" (?), and implying he's just somehow "better" than others for escaping the "matrix" despite being more "accomplished" (lol) than others.

TranquilMarmot 4y ago

I love writing code and solving problems with it. Even if this job didn't pay well and didn't come with all the amazing benefits, I would still do it. I think a lot of software engineers need to hang out with more people who are less well off than them. Befriend the grocery store clerk, talk to the mechanic fixing your car. If you're in a bubble of wealthy people, it gets really hard to appreciate the benefits that you have simply because you stop seeing them as benefits and see them instead as the status quo.

ip26 4y ago
It can also help with the exceptionalism.