Why Do Smart People Suck at Programming?
Success is a lousy teacher. It seduces smart people into thinking they can’t lose — Bill Gate
Talent is no guarantee of success. Many of the world’s greatest artists, scientists and inventors were far from gifted as schoolchildren. Einstein didn’t read much as a teenager; he mostly struggled with arithmetic. Even today, most programmers don’t have formal education in computer science.
It’s no secret that programming is a difficult job. It requires discipline, logic, and a never-ending stream of obscure terminology. Even the most talented programmers struggle to produce quality code every now and then, and when they do make a mistake or two it can cause huge headaches. It’s no wonder that the majority of the world’s brightest minds avoid programming like the plague.
If very smart people suck at programming, can the rest of us do any better?
If you’re reading this article, there’s a high probability that you’re a very intelligent person. You probably have a degree in computer science or a related field, and you probably know a lot of knowledge about the inner workings of our technology. The problem is, that being smart isn’t enough to be successful and most of the time, it’s hard to tell who is and isn’t just good enough to get by. Being smart, However, doesn’t mean that you’ll automatically become a great programmer. Instead, it takes a combination of talent, hard work, and learning from others. programming is a craft, and like any other craft, it requires years of practice to become proficient in it.
Here are a few reasons why very smart suck at programming
Note: This is based on my perspective you might have a different perspective on the matter. Feel free to disagree.
1. They procrastinate
Procrastination is often thought to be one of the biggest reasons why very smart people fail at programming. Instead of taking their time to learn and understand a topic, many of them prefer to jump from one task to the next, never really spending time on anything in-depth. The result is that they don’t build up much experience or expertise over time, and when it finally comes time to put their knowledge to use, they find themselves overwhelmed. This isn’t to say that learning everything you can about a subject is always the best idea, but if you have a specific goal in mind, setting aside some time to learn more is often worth the effort.
Smart people tend to procrastinate because they think they are really good at what they do. They think that they are very good at a task and they can finish it up in a short period of time before the deadline so they decide to postpone it. This is not the case in programming because programming is very tedious and takes a lot of processes with this procrastinating is not a habit to have as a programmer.
2. They give up easily
A lot of people will disagree because they think smart people will never give up because they are smart and can easily come up with other solutions to solve a problem when one does not work out. The truth is that they set unrealistic expectations and if they are not able to meet those expectations they give up.
They also give up when they feel overwhelmed by the volume of work. They give up when their improvement stagnates. They are afraid of failing. This is not the case in programming because as a programmer you must be able to keep going if you are stuck or even when things are not going the way you want them to.
3. They lack organizing skills
Another reason why smart people suck at programming is that they lack organizing skills. They lack the ability to organize their thoughts and come up with a specific plan to accomplish a goal. Programming is a lot like cooking. You have to plan your work, set goals for yourself, and stay organized. If you don’t plan your work, you’ll never get anything done.
The truth is that smart people tend to come up with a lot of ideas but they don’t have a system in place to implement these ideas. Programming is a craft and like any other craft, you must learn to organize your thoughts and come up with a plan to accomplish a goal. It is very important for a programmer to have clear documentation so other people in the team can understand what he is doing. A programmer who lacks the organizing skills will have a hard time keeping track of all the documentation he needs to have.
What are your thoughts? Do you agree or disagree with what I just said? I would love to hear from you. If you like this article and want to read more of this in the future, consider following me, and also check out my other articles
