Regular Reveries 18: The rename
Since I’ve gotten pretty regular with the newsletter, I’ve decided to rename it. Expect a new edition in your inbox every Wednesday.
This week’s article
I wrote about the dangers of solving programming puzzles to learn programming. The biggest downside is that programming newcomers get the wrong picture of programming by solving them.
Content candy
I’ve really enjoyed this short and sweet piece by Will Schreiber. It has reminded me of this principle:
“Invert, always invert: Turn a situation or problem upside down. Look at it backward. What happens if all our plans go wrong? Where don’t we want to go, and how do you get there? Instead of looking for success, make a list of how to fail instead – through sloth, envy, resentment, self-pity, entitlement, all the mental habits of self-defeat. Avoid these qualities and you will succeed. Tell me where I’m going to die, that is, so I don’t go there.” — Charlie Munger, Damn Right: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger
Will has applied this principle to his habits. Instead of thinking everything that makes a day perfect, he thought about everything that does not.
Something to think about
“If all your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump too?”
“Oh jeez. Probably.”
“What!? Why!?”
“Because all my friends did. Think about it — which scenario is more likely: every single person I know, many of them levelheaded and afraid of heights, abruptly went crazy at exactly the same time… or the bridge is on fire?”
Question for you
What kind of person do you not want to be? What do you want to remove from your life? What are you looking to avoid when choosing a company to work for?