TFA doesn't say that "frustration tolerant" people tolerate problems, but that they tolerate frustration as they fix those problems "without succumbing to negative emotions or counterproductive behaviors".
I was far more frustration intolerant earlier in my career, part of which I can now attribute to undiagnosed AuDHD. Although I can't say that I've mastered frustration tolerance, I've learned to moderate it to the point that I'm far more effective now.
What the article fails to mention is that only in organizations of a certain complexity and dysfunction can the result of high frustration tolerance be referred to as progress.
The real key to success in complicated org is not just dealing effectively with frustration, but the ability to realize what the stakes really are in a complex organization. I've seen people promoted to the stratosphere not for successfully completing a project, but for keeping the wheels on the bus in spite of what happened to the project. This can at times involve repeatedly and energetically referring to failure as success.
> I’d be interested to hear how you’ve learned to moderate your response to frustration more effectively.
I loved @Schiendelman’s answer, and I believe that prioritizing mental and physical health is a prerequisite for tolerating frustration effectively. For me, it's been more about a change in practices and perspective.
For example, I never react in the moment to professional frustration beyond listening and asking sincere questions. I've learned that I need time to respond, and even to consider whether I should respond at all.
If I find myself awake at 4am ruminating about an aspect of my company or product, I remind myself that I may be taking it (and myself) a bit too seriously, and reassure myself that it can safely be tabled until tomorrow.
There's wisdom in the Serenity Prayer: "Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."
I have noticed that on the mornings where I do some exertion before anything else—a run, some yoga, etc.—that my ability to "receive" and process the things that come at me is so much better. It feels like there's a waiting room, whereas otherwise, whatever comes at me gets a 1:1 response.
Have you found weightlifting to be specifically beneficial, or is that just your morning workout of choice?
It is more beneficial than cardio in raising my base caloric burn, though I also like running and hiking when I can!
It takes less time each day than cardio for giving me the kind of focus and calm improvements I want.
It has a much bigger impact on physical appearance as well. Something I've learned is that more muscle mass really does translate to more respectful treatment from basically every other human in your life.
The masochists are all too happy to do something the hard way in perpetuity. But they are in the smart-industrious quadrant and they will burn up man-hours like no tomorrow. Their goal is to fill a week not get stuff done.
You can be the person who jumps on the tedious tasks and that’s fine - as one personality in a diverse team. I worked on a project with all super senior people who never wanted to do any tedious work, ever. Over the course of a year the project started to more and more resemble Second System Syndrome, as each dev contributed an “engine“ or “framework” to perform Task Golf and never write any boring code. That’s just as bad as all masochists.
But a masochist that insists everyone else experience pain too is now a sadist. And from a progress standpoint that’s probably the worst monoculture to have.
At a pivotal point in my career growth, I got stuck with a project I had grown tired of while a more stimulating project was being spun up with new hires. I was “too important” to the old project and shut out. I did not enjoy that experience.
I’ve always been a pretty decent writer, and a passable tutor. It wasn’t that I couldn’t divest knowledge to other people, we just hadn’t made the time. I never did get onto that other project, the company started spiraling before I convinced that manager the team could deal without me. But I have seen what happens when a senior person becomes the bottleneck, or when only one voice champions an idea in meetings, and I do a better job of carving out bits of subject matter to co-create with peers or bequeath to people I’m mentoring. There’s plenty of breathing room between Work Yourself Out of a Job and Being Indispensable, where you have enough capacity that you can participate in new ideas that strike your fancy.
Are the Lazy variants ever a good idea? The author already argues against lazy IO. Are Lazy variants worth using for anything else? I always thought Haskell is typeful and that Lazy variants hide too much under the covers that should be exposed in the types.
Also I still don’t think there’s a great argument for [Char] other than its historical baggage.
I write https://cs-syd.eu
They're:
- Technical introductions to interediate/advanced topics (usually in Haskell)
- Self-management/productivity tricks
- Quote posts
I have uploaded about two hundred posts over 6 years and still upload every two weeks consistently.
