Most people who own cars have little interest in how they work under the hood. Same is true for computers today. It's not just true for machines but all parts of life. I know several adults who hardly ever cook, despite that fact that they've been eating meals cooked by other all their lives. Using something doesn't necessarily mean you'll want to learn how to create it yourself.
That's true, with the exception that learning how to write a program is also a lesson in how to think logically. Rather than teaching everyone to be programmers, the goal could be to use programming as a tool to teach everyone how to think.
Great point, I've also experienced that as a new hire.
The best new hire layout I've had was purposely being assigned to share an office with my mentor. Since we were in a physical office, I wasn't afraid to ask any questions, even the dumb-sounding ones that otherwise would be overheard by everyone within ten feet in an open plan.
I'm surprised by this article since I have not found the "Fake It Until You Make It" strategy to be very effective, especially with regards to faking courage. If it works for the author, great, but I wouldn't recommend this and here's why: False confidence might make you seem brave in the short-term, but long-term it's not going to fool most people and will make you look like even more of a weakling.
"Exaggerating Courage" usually works much better than faking it, at least for me, because it's based on a kernel of truth instead of a lie. For example I've never had a tennis lesson but I used to be good at basketball and other sports. So when I'm on the tennis court, even though my technique is poor, I remind myself that I have good hand-eye coordination and agility. So I focus on the fact that "I'm quick!" instead of "My backhand is lame!"
Focus on your strengths, not your perceived weaknesses. Of course when I'm really "in the zone" I'm in a state of Relaxed Confidence where I'm not talking to myself, either positive or negative, and I'm merely reacting to what's required at the moment. It's the ideal mind-body-state to be in when you're trying to return a serve, sink a free throw, hit a fast ball, or in many other non-sports situations. For more on this, check out...
This article really hit home for me, as I had a similar experience this year: burnout after high-stress software dev (after which I didn't even want to look at code), followed by getting back into gaming, then suddenly finding renewed motivation for (and enjoyment of) programming.
How do I limit my game-time to 1 hour daily? Easy, I set the Family Timer on my Xbox. I know the password, so I can extend it, but at least it's a conscious decision. I'd highly recommend this approach to anyone who wants to try out gaming but is afraid of it sucking away too much time.
