Why Software?
Before we dive deep in to that exceedingly ambiguous question, let's wade in this one:
Why procrastination? Why a creeping aversion to, resulting in a several-month delay in, fulfilling the first blog requirement for the software development program in which I'm enrolled? "Why did you decide to learn software engineering?" looks like a fairly unmenacing prompt.
It turns out that answering a question like "Why do X?" is difficult when you can't answer a question like "Why do anything?" It also turns out, unsurprisingly, that the answers to these questions overlap and mingle.
Why do a thing? Do it because:
- it serves your development as a human,
and do it because:
- it makes you feel alive.
How has wanting to learn software development served my inner development? It led me to
Flatiron, which led me to challenging my ability to see the world in new ways and my ability to opt out of listening to the whisperings that tell me I can't achieve something.
How has learning software development helped me walk toward what makes me feel alive? It led me to Ruby, which led me to the ability to create and explore new universes and to use metaprogramming to satisfy my own ponderings about metaphysial matters.
So, why specifically software engineering? Well, the specifics don't matter so much to me, but since you asked, there are many reasons: It is a powerful medium to serve the world. It is fun. It brings you close to people.
When you find something that you can do with love, you have found something worthy of your doing.
P.S.
Flatiron is a spectacular coding school that has, as is likely evident, challenged me personally just as much as technically. I am grateful to the code-loving staff and students there for catalyzing this post.
Posted on May 18, 2018