How to handle life like Javascript
Have you ever found yourself in a scenario where things didn’t go as planned, leaving you feeling helpless and questioning why it happened? In the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, there is a phrase, “Ta ouk ephemin,” which refers to events outside our control. These events can occur in our personal lives, such as the illness or death of someone close to us, or in our professional lives when our boss takes out their frustrations on us. Life can be challenging when we lack control over such circumstances.
During my journey with JavaScript, I learned valuable lessons that empowered me and provided insights into how to cope with these uncontrollable events. Let’s explore how JavaScript’s asynchronous approach to handling tasks can offer us wisdom for navigating life’s challenges.
- You only need to try your best
During my personal journey with JavaScript, I encountered a valuable lesson that helped me address my struggles with perfectionism. I often found myself abandoning tasks midway, feeling paralyzed by the fear of imperfection. Inspired by JavaScript’s try-catch block, I applied a similar approach to my life’s challenges.
I realized that in life, it’s important to give your best effort and embrace the concept of “trying.” Just as in programming, where we use try-catch blocks to handle errors, I started approaching setbacks in life with a similar mindset. I would set goals and aspirations, giving them my all, but being prepared to catch and handle any unexpected difficulties that arose.
So, I adopted a personal try-catch block for life’s events. It involved trying my best to pursue something I had always wanted to do, despite any obstacles that might arise. And if things didn’t go as planned, I would catch the setback and reflect on it. How could I handle this setback in the best possible way? I would analyze my mistakes, learn from them, and use that knowledge to improve myself, just as we write better code after identifying and addressing errors.
By implementing this approach, I not only became more resilient but also embraced the idea that setbacks and failures are part of the learning process. This mindset shift helped me navigate life’s challenges with greater confidence and adaptability.
2. Give up
You might be surprised, but sometimes it’s necessary to give up. This might go against conventional self-help advice and motivational quotes, but the truth is, there are numerous events in life that are beyond our control. Some of these events directly impact our lives.
Let’s take a cue from how JavaScript handles events outside of its control. Consider the example of using the fetch function in JavaScript to request data from an API. Without the asynchronous nature of JavaScript, the user experience would be miserable. Users would have to wait indefinitely while the data is being fetched. Now, imagine if the API server is down or experiencing issues.
Can you relate to this scenario? It often mirrors how we handle events in our own lives. How many times have we felt paralyzed, unable to take action because the outcome was uncertain or beyond our control? How many times have we been devastated when things didn’t go as planned? These moments can hinder our progress.
What if we approach life the JavaScript way? We can categorize events into those we have control over (synchronous events) and those we have no control over (asynchronous events). We should prioritize and focus on the synchronous events that are within our control. As for the asynchronous events, we can participate in them but let go of attachment to the outcome. Just like promises in JavaScript, we can plan for the results but not be fixated on them. If things go well, it’s a stroke of luck. We can proceed with executing the events we have already planned, just as we chain promises in JavaScript. However, we should also prepare for potential setbacks by having a backup plan, a catch-fallback, in place. This ensures that we remain unblocked both in JavaScript and in life.
By adopting this approach, we learn to let go of the uncontrollable aspects of life, focusing our energy on what we can influence and accepting the uncertainties that come with asynchronous events. It enables us to navigate life’s challenges with greater resilience and adaptability.
3. Give and get help.
More than half the javascript you write is not really javascript.’ — Will Sentance
Indeed, this is a valuable lesson that I’ve learned as well. While functions like document.getElementById or window.fetch are commonly used in JavaScript, it's important to understand that they are not the entirety of JavaScript itself.
JavaScript relies on lower-level code written in languages like C or C++ to perform tasks such as communicating with other computers, fetching data, or manipulating the Document Object Model (DOM). These underlying components enable JavaScript to interact with the broader computing environment and provide the functionality we utilize in our JavaScript code.
Understanding this distinction helps us appreciate the interconnected nature of programming and the collaborative efforts required to build powerful applications. It’s important to recognize that seeking help and being open to receiving assistance are integral parts of the learning process. There is no shame in asking questions, researching topics, and leveraging resources like search engines or developer communities such as Stack Overflow to find answers to problems you encounter.
Moreover, sharing knowledge and offering help to others is a fantastic way to contribute to the programming community. By engaging with other developers’ codebases, troubleshooting errors, and providing guidance, we can deepen our understanding of JavaScript and gain valuable insights into different approaches and techniques.
Learning from others’ experiences, whether it’s through code reviews, collaboration, or observing and understanding their mistakes, can greatly enhance our own skills and broaden our perspectives.
So, let go of any hesitations or feelings of shame when seeking or accepting help. Embrace the wealth of knowledge available through research, online resources, and the supportive programming community. By doing so, you’ll discover the immense value of learning from others, be it through their codebases or the errors they encounter, and how it can accelerate your growth and development as a developer.
Thank you sincerely for your time. I genuinely hope that the ideas shared in this article have provided you with some value. It’s important to acknowledge that many of these insights have been inspired by the ancient philosophy of Stoicism, a profound wisdom that continues to resonate today. I am grateful to Ryan Holiday for introducing me to this powerful philosophy, which has had a profound impact on my perspective.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to Will Sentance, whose teachings on asynchronous JavaScript have been instrumental in my understanding of this concept and its application. The knowledge and skills I gained from his instruction have been invaluable in navigating the complexities of asynchronous programming.
Additionally, I want to acknowledge the unwavering support of my friends who have been with me every step of the way. Their encouragement, feedback, and constructive criticism have been instrumental in shaping the quality of this article. I owe a debt of gratitude to them for their invaluable contributions.
As someone who has struggled with perfectionism, I must admit that this article was long overdue. However, this time I applied the very principles I’ve discussed. I dedicated my best efforts to its creation, but I also recognize the importance of detaching myself from the outcome. All feedback received will serve as valuable lessons that will help me grow and enhance my writing skills. I am committed to continuously improving and honing my craft.
In the spirit of embracing life’s unpredictable nature, I am ready to face whatever comes my way. Just as in programming, I will write my “catch” statements, ensuring that I am not paralyzed by setbacks and that I continue moving forward. Life is a journey of continuous learning, and I am excited to embark on this path with a sense of curiosity and resilience.
Once again, I extend my gratitude to you for taking the time to read this article. May your programming endeavors be filled with joy and fulfillment.
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This article was further improved with the assistance of ChatGPT, an advanced language model developed by OpenAI. ChatGPT has been an incredible resource, providing valuable insights and suggestions that have enhanced the overall content and flow of this article.
