How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020)

Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by throwawayboise on Saturday February 20, 2021 @03:19PM (#26207553)

I used to get emotional like this about programming, both the awe and the contempt depending on circumstances. Now, after 30 years, it's just work. I don't really feel anything about it. And that's kind of the way everything is. Nothing is new or exciting. I wake up, work, do household stuff, eat, go to bed. That's life. Not interesting, not depressing, just neutral.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by carlmr on Saturday February 20, 2021 @03:37PM (#26207705)

>Not interesting, not depressing, just neutral.

The absence of feelings sounds exactly like depression.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by beaconstudios on Saturday February 20, 2021 @03:42PM (#26207750)

Depression is a bit more complex than that though. You can be emotionally neutral if you're just not strongly affected by what you're doing, it's probably the default state if you've done something for a while. I'm emotionally neutral when I brush my teeth.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by carlmr on Saturday February 20, 2021 @03:52PM (#26207847)

True, let me rephrase what I meant then, if everything, day in, day out, feels emotionally neutral, that's very depressive sounding.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by beaconstudios on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:04PM (#26207955)

Yeah for sure. Anhedonia (no longer enjoying things you used to) is a strongly associated symptom. Of course it could just be a rut and you need to shake up your routine, introduce some variety, but that's matter of severity rather than category.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by throwawayboise on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:17PM (#26208077)

But it doesn't seem that way. I'm not unhappy, or suicidal, or gloomy about the future. I just don't find that anything really feels "new" and therefore nothing really seems exciting. It's like if I got that cliche question "what are you passionate about" in an interview, my answer would be "nothing."

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by beaconstudios on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:27PM (#26208153)

I think it's fair to not be passionate about programming. As long as you have some sort of creative/passion outlet.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by throwawayboise on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:35PM (#26208202)

> As long as you have some sort of creative/passion outlet

I used to feel that I did, when I was younger. Not really these days. But I'm not sad about it.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by phabora on Saturday February 20, 2021 @05:08PM (#26208447)

Ma, the passion police is at the door again.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by beaconstudios on Saturday February 20, 2021 @05:13PM (#26208478)

you have 24h to present evidence of sufficient artistic hobbies to your local station.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by carlmr on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:28PM (#26208157)

Don't you have the feeling you want something exciting?

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by throwawayboise on Saturday February 20, 2021 @04:31PM (#26208182)

I'll put it this way, I have no real burning desire to do anything that I haven't already done.

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Re:How can you not be romantic about programming? (2020) by rufus_foreman on Saturday February 20, 2021 @10:13PM (#26210488)

Oh yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone.

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