Brain Management

http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/brain_management

by mdemare • 16 years ago

95 25 16 years ago

shiny• 16 years ago

I've noticed this as well, although I don't think that programming and socializing use the same parts of the brain.

It feels like programming directs all brain power toward the analytical/introspective aspect of my brain, during which the social aspect gets cold. Then when I have to socialize, it takes awhile to warm up. They are completely different states of mind.

Dunno if this should factor into whether I should become a programmer as a career.

wallflower4• 16 years ago

There have been other threads here about programming as a career: if you prefer introversion, programming is one of the careers where results count over interaction. And you can use your skills to get money to do non computer-related hobbies, if you prefer.

I consider myself fortunate that my performance reviews focus on how well I can produce and debug production code under deadline, not abstract areas like meeting management or proposal generation or (the horror) net promoter score (google that).

Recommended article: "Caring for Your Introvert"

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2003/03/caring-f...

DannoHung• 16 years ago

That works well until you get a team mate that doesn't know how to not talk and always wants to discuss everything.

Can you imagine a meeting where four people are quickly reviewing several details and are halfway done in the course of 5 minutes when a fifth shows up, starts talking about something for twice that length of time and ultimately cannot make their point clear?

How would you feel towards that person when they talk to you every half hour about some detail that you don't care about, some question that they could find out if they bothered to search and read, some thing that is wholly immaterial to the work you have to do.

I know I just let my silent resentment grow and browse hackernews all day hoping they will step out for a few hours.

watty• 16 years ago

Yep, me too... almost as if it's hard to get out of the programming "zone". But, having worked a few years now developing full time don't let it affect your career decision. I can't imagine it being much different than working a stressful job in any other industry.

... and alcohol helps.

davidcuddeback• 16 years ago

I was just thinking about this last night, because I've noticed that when I spend all day involved in an intellectual task (could be writing code; yesterday it happened to be writing my thesis), I'm less entertaining to my girlfriend when we talk on the phone. When I was thinking about it last night, I guessed that the reason was because I hadn't done anything during the day worth sharing. Whereas if I do something interesting then I'm more likely to have an experience worth sharing with her.

This seems to make more sense to me. For instance, when I made a discovery and when I got accepted to a conference, I had something exciting to tell her. Even though I may be engaged in intellectual activity all day, I might have no problem switching gears to telling her good news and talking about travel plans for the conference.

But perhaps that's different than the dating scenario in the article because of my comfort level with my girlfriend. Socializing with more-or-less strangers is a completely different state of mind, as shiny said, than talking to someone close to you.

I think there could be merit to both ideas. I'll take note of it tonight, since I'm going to be going to a beer tasting in a couple hours after I've been engaged in my thesis all day.

derefr• 16 years ago

http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Near/far_thinking

Programming puts you in near mode. Socializing requires far mode. When you talk to strangers, a short adrenaline boost acts as a "clutch" to allow you to switch fully into far mode (you introduce yourself from the start, talk about general ideas and things you did in the distant past/hope to do in the distant future, etc.) When you talk to your girlfriend, however, the comfort creates inertia you have to overcome to switch into far mode. A specific, sharable accomplishment is a bridge, halfway between near and far.

heresy• 16 years ago

I find it hard to switch off the programming side when I get home after work.

I was a lot more sociable when I still smoked, stopping smoking has been like turning up the volume to what it was in my early 20s, programming wise.

A good whisky is the best medicine for turning off the left side though.

michaelneale• 16 years ago

I can totally relate to that - well not the smoking bit. but yeah - a nice scotch and you can turn it off. Otherwise I find I will say "ok, I am finishing this.." go off and start talking to family/friends, and suddenly pause, stare into the distance, and then run to the nearest device of mine to try/make a note of some problem whose solution just popped apparently completely formed into my head.

but hey, we love this, lets not kid ourselves. Its great - so many people really hate their jobs, this is a wonderful business.

andywood• 16 years ago

I don't know if programming makes me less social, but I do know that I'm at my most social after I've already been socializing with a lot of people. So if I've spent my day doing anything that isn't socializing, I'm not going to be very social.

marram• 16 years ago

I agree. I was uber social after spending a couple of days handing out schwag and chatting with random people at SXSW.

wallflower4• 16 years ago

The efficient social power-up hack for this as taught to me by someone who can engage anyone (and is not always on):

If you are on the way to a party or some other venue where it pays to be social, park the car far away and on the way over greet everyone you cross paths with with a warm "Hello!". If you do this right (and park far away enough/walk enough), by the time you get to the venue you will be lit up and locked and loaded. Bear in mind, the first hello will suck. Maybe even the next five. Ok, the first twenty.

But if you can get to twenty one or thirty, the energy will shift from why am I doing this to I love doing this.

Part of this is because you are warmed up but more importantly you will start to get people responding to you. Gets you over your fear of rejection because you're just being a social guy or gal. As always, use your best judgement, but this technique is platinum. For bonus points, increase your range - target people across the street by putting your hand up and waving and "HI!"

The abbreviated technique is to greet, pause, and shake hands and/or touch on upper arm with everyone once you enter a venue - immediately. If you ever want to watch this technique at work, go to a political fundraiser and observe (unconscious competence for most).

cageface• 16 years ago

Scott Adams eats microwaved pasta?

First order of business upon becoming rich is hiring a full-time gourmet chef.

hugh32• 16 years ago

Why not just get married?

cousin_it2• 16 years ago

Because your wife might just make you cook for her?

(I love how both your comment and my retort are obviously sexist. There's gotta be some paradox about this.)

zackattack• 16 years ago

Maybe he was microwaving leftovers that the chef made last night.

I'm with you though, when I can afford one, I will have a raw food chef. I guess I need to figure out how much they cost.

bmobf• 16 years ago

Yes, definitely. My brain takes a long time to shift gears.

One thing I've had some success with is writing stream-of-consciousness style after work for ~500 words. Expressing a ton of thoughts without any filter or careful thought seems to prime the pump for socializing.

Huh. I wonder if there's any connection there.

llimllib• 16 years ago

My wife calls this "programming-land". When she comes home, she can tell right away if I've been hacking or goofing off reading reddit; in the former case I'm somehow behind the curve social-interaction-wise.

If we're going out afterwards, I can adjust, but it takes a while for me to get my mind off the problem at hand.

Qz2• 16 years ago

Merits aside, you would think someone responsible for years worth of laying out text in comics would realize their blog font is too f*ing small.

olliesaunders• 16 years ago

Most browsers have text size adjustment facilities. Ctrl+= comes to mind.

Qz2• 16 years ago

I've had this discussion before on a different thread (wherein I didn't get downvoted nearly as much but hey). Yes I realize I can fix the font size (and in this case I just pressed Readability). And yet that is a terrible excuse for the fact that his site is virtually unreadable, considering that he is someone who, by the nature of his work, should be the last person making Yet-Another-Unreadable-Blog.

baha_man• 16 years ago

"...while expecting me to simultaneously navigating to our destination."

I guess he was doing something else when he wrote that.

"It is generally agreed that playing soccer is a good crossover skill for playing tennis, because of the footwork."

Generally agreed? I've never heard this before.

wallflower4• 16 years ago

I can see it helping in tennis because being on the balls of your feet (split-stepping) is key to being able to change direction. And soccer is all about feints and changing directions.

Soccer is one of those sports where I'd like to get better but lack the patience to build skills consistently.

If you want to learn how to dribble a soccer ball, do it in the edge of the surf beachside. The water resistance makes it extremely difficult. Get a small soccer ball called a skills ball. Soccer or (football) is one of the sports where footwork can make you a valuable team player. Speaking of which, less than one month to World Cup 2010!! (June 11th)

Brain Management

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