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Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

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Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#211

Post by liveoneggs »

When you were 25 you lacked the experience to see Porting this API will require a deep understanding of the existing API and, ignoring that obvious complexity, allowed you to move really fast.

Also you get those nagging feelings of futility about doing a mechanical task (translating an API) when you know you (or anything else) will 1) make mistakes and 2) have to do it again in five years anyway.

There are two times you buy a motorcycle - First when you know you can't die and Second when you don't care if you do. Sucks to be in the middle (aged).

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#212

Post by contingencies »

eterpstra wrote: post #97
cr3ative wrote: post #8

Sounds like you've identified your problem with the task - you can't hold the entire state of the problem in your head all at once, but maybe you would have been able to in the past. This seems like something you can overcome. Have you tried writing these function calls out as a flow on a piece of paper, or in a flow chart, document, something like that? A reference which you draw to be able to tell where you are the…

Yesterday's top post linked to this tool: https://www.knotend.com It's a super fast/light flowchart editor. Might be useful!

Use graphviz[0], forget manual graphing. While many tools can generate a call graph, confidence rolling your own is a good superpower to have.

For example, write a quick script to add a panic (nonexistantFunction()) as the first line of each function. Then, call each function in turn. Save the panic's function stack trace, then process them as a combined graphviz file.

This simple and efficient hack will get you all the most important edges in most cases for most languages. It won't get you the internal links, for those you need a more effective parser or more exotic means of obtaining branched call stacks.

[0] http://graphviz.org/

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#214

Post by jxm262 »

fileeditview wrote: post #182

I am 40 now and a better programmer/developer than I ever was before. I still encounter similar situations as you but I think you make a mistake by thinking your younger self would have handled this (easily). The difference is that our younger selves were maybe more optimistic and naive and probably would have just produced a new mess for the next one to scratch his/her head about. Abstraction is hard and we usually…

I'm 38 and just wanted to comment my experience matches your comment here. I'm probably 20x or more productive now than I was when I first started. Experience does indeed help productivity (to a point).

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#217

Post by notyourwork »

MuffinFlavored wrote: post #134
jb1991 wrote: post #17

I don't know you personally but I doubt cognitive decline has anything to do with this. As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities, beyond just the work we are doing. All of that is input to the brain and requires energy in response. The brain is not infinite. I often feel as you do, but then I have periods where I am as light and agile in my productivity as 20 years ago, maybe even more so…

> As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities As somebody who far away from 40, how is one supposed to "look forward" to getting older given this likelihood?

By enjoying today, tomorrow will come regardless of whether you want to avoid getting older. Best you can do is prepare for tomorrow, health and finances.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#218

Post by caente »

fileeditview wrote: post #182

I am 40 now and a better programmer/developer than I ever was before. I still encounter similar situations as you but I think you make a mistake by thinking your younger self would have handled this (easily). The difference is that our younger selves were maybe more optimistic and naive and probably would have just produced a new mess for the next one to scratch his/her head about. Abstraction is hard and we usually…

>The difference is that our younger selves were maybe more optimistic and naive and probably would have just produced a new mess for the next one to scratch his/her head about.

This needs to be highlighted!

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#219

Post by jarek83 »

I'm 40 too and haven't felt more sharp in coding anytime before. However I started to code in my early 30s so maybe it contributes here somehow. It sounds like the task you have is a misfit for you or the code you have been given is way worse than you think.

Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.

#220

Post by shanebellone »

tablatom wrote: post #81
jb1991 wrote: post #17

I don't know you personally but I doubt cognitive decline has anything to do with this. As we age, we usually end up with more and more life responsibilities, beyond just the work we are doing. All of that is input to the brain and requires energy in response. The brain is not infinite. I often feel as you do, but then I have periods where I am as light and agile in my productivity as 20 years ago, maybe even more so…

I'll second this. Based on my own experience (I'm 50) it's all about energy levels. When my energy is high, I can code like I did two decades ago. Probably better. I guess the difference is that in your twenties, energy is almost for free. As you get older, you've got to be smarter about it - all the usual things - diet, exercise, avoiding stress... Not that I'm good about those things - I do OK but not great. Someti…

I'm 33 and this describes me perfectly too. Some days are clear and sunny while others are dark and cloudy.
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