Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#21

Post by sgt101 » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:05 AM UTC

- It's amazing that you speak three languages, most English speakers will be in awe of you for that alone. Bear that in mind when you make an error! - Who cares about syntax errors in code? This is why we build in-line checkers in IDE's. Also syntax errors are easy to find and fix, semantic errors are the killers -> the bloody thing works and then blows up... arrgggh!

Big mantra : don't beat your self up. The rest of the world will do just fine at that job without your help. Also, mostly other people simply are not watching and critiquing you, people who are are either 1. mad, 2. in love with you. Both 1 & 2 mean that this is not an issue.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#22

Post by venantius » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:06 AM UTC

sgt101 wrote: post #21

- It's amazing that you speak three languages, most English speakers will be in awe of you for that alone. Bear that in mind when you make an error! - Who cares about syntax errors in code? This is why we build in-line checkers in IDE's. Also syntax errors are easy to find and fix, semantic errors are the killers -> the bloody thing works and then blows up... arrgggh! Big mantra : don't beat your self up. The rest of…

I think this is a wonderful worldview to have :)

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#23

Post by zeeshanm » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:11 AM UTC

Hey man - don't beat yourself up. I can barely code and still can amaze myself. I would say just do things that you think you cannot do. And don' think about the outcome. You would find just by taking the initiative you can do anything.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#24

Post by jestar_jokin » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:12 AM UTC

- You're allowed to make mistakes, that's what being a student is all about. If you knew it all already, you wouldn't need to study, right?

- Practice makes perfect. You just gotta keep trying and failing; eventually you'll find you fail less often than you try. Don't avoid trying out of a fear of failing, or you'll end up doing nothing, which is worse than feeling embarrassed.

- Don't feel self-conscious about your English skills. Ultimately it doesn't matter; I've worked with programmers from around the world, often with "quirks" in their written/spoken English skills, and never has it been a barrier to communication. A common understanding of the theoretical CS concepts should help.

- Try mindfulness meditation. Focusing on the present and awareness of the world around you might help direct your focus outwards instead of inwards.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#25

Post by weddpros » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:28 AM UTC

TL;DR; Fake it till you make it

You're probably a perfectionist. Bad news: in a few years, you might still think you're not good enough, when in fact you'll good enough. Good news: perfectionism will push you forward.

So you can adopt the "fake it till you make it" attitude: stop worrying, go ahead and try to convince others you're good enough. It should be easy enough, because others are much less demanding than you might think... Then you'll see others judge you positively. That's when you'll start to make it.

In other words: I'm a very experienced (42 yo) developer, highly regarded, yet I can't write code without running it, I make typos every few lines, I rely heavily on the huge amounts of documentation found on the web...

And I know my english is not perfect, but sometimes, a native speaker tells me my english is fine... So I continue to fake it, till I'll make it.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#26

Post by LeicaLatte » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:28 AM UTC

Work on things that no one else is doing. If there is no precedence, the better.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#27

Post by 2chen » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:30 AM UTC

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impostor_syndrome is extremely common in high achievers--you're not alone.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#28

Post by tallerholler » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:32 AM UTC

the key to success is being able to walk through fear and anxiety and learn from it. it doesn't matter if you make plenty of syntax errors, it only matters if you pay attention and learn why you made those errors. rome wasn't built in a day. stop beating yourself up and cut yourself a break. most programmers in the world are the same as you and many of them (including me) have gone through periods of inferiority or self-doubt (or imposter syndrome).

just try to stay focused and dont spread yourself too thin when it comes to learning. build a foundation one day at a time.

have fun, laugh a lot, live free follow your dreams.

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#29

Post by rifung » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:36 AM UTC

Someone else smarter than I am should tell you how to deal with this issue. I just wanted to say that having been in a similar situation and then starting work, I can tell you are going to be a great developer just because you care.

From all the people I've worked with, the ones who cared were always better than the ones who didn't, and you'll be surprised at the number who don't. Of course there are other things like experience and all that, but the fact that you actually care about your ability and hopefully want to improve already will take you very far. So have faith in yourself because I certainly have faith in you random person on the internet =D

Re: Ask HN: Self-doubt, inferiority complex is killing me. How do I fix that?

#30

Post by bioaway » Sun, Jun 21, 2015, 7:43 AM UTC

I know how you feel. Just finishing up my biosciences degree and the stress has really screwed up my learning. Projects and coursework were fine but examinations were awful. Never did figure out how to get over it and I regret not seeing my doctor about my issues.