Programming is an act of creation. When we write code we are creating
something out of nothing. We are boldly imposing order upon chaos. We are
confidently commanding, in precise detail, the behaviors of a machine that
could otherwise do incalculable damage. And so, programming is an act of
supreme arrogance.
Professionals know they are arrogant and are not falsely humble. A professional
knows his job and takes pride in his work. A professional is confident in his
abilities, and takes bold and calculated risks based on that confidence. A
professional is not timid.
However, a professional also knows that there will be times when he will fail, his
risk calculations will be wrong, his abilities will fall short; he’ll look in the
mirror and see an arrogant fool smiling back at him.
So when a professional finds himself the butt of a joke, he’ll be the first to laugh.
He will never ridicule others, but will accept ridicule when it is deserved and
laugh it off when it’s not. He will not demean another for making a mistake,
because he knows he may be the next to fail.
A professional understands his supreme arrogance, and that the fates will eventually
notice and level their aim. When that aim connects, the best you can do is take
Howard’s advice: Laugh.