Debugging is one of those things every developer dreads at first. You write your code, you’re confident it’ll run — and then boom: red errors, broken features, nothing works the way you expected.
For a long time, debugging felt like punishment to me. Hours spent staring at a blank screen, scrolling through endless error messages, wondering if I was even cut out for this path.
But somewhere along the line, I realized something: debugging is not just about fixing broken code.
It’s about training your mind to stay calm when everything seems to be falling apart.
Errors Have Stories
Every error I’ve encountered has had a story.
Sometimes it was as small as a missing semicolon.
Other times it was a deeper lesson: rushing through code, overlooking documentation, or simply stepping into a concept I didn’t yet understand.
Take this classic PHP example:
<?php
// What I thought would run
echo "Hello World
// What I actually got: Parse error: syntax error, unexpected end of file
?>
One missing quotation mark broke the entire script.
Frustrating? Absolutely.
But also a reminder: slow down, read carefully, and respect the details.
Debugging as Growth
The more I debugged, the more I noticed something strange: I wasn’t just fixing code — I was fixing myself.
For example, in Laravel, I once chased down an error that said:
SQLSTATE[42S02]: Base table or view not found: 1146 Table 'userss' doesn't exist
I had written userss instead of users. Hours wasted… until I laughed at myself.
Now? I always double-check migrations and spelling before running queries.
These bugs taught me:
Patience when things don’t make sense right away.
Resilience when I hit the same wall repeatedly.
Humility in admitting I don’t have all the answers (yet).
And most importantly, that bugs aren’t failures — they’re signposts, pointing me to what I need to understand next.
From Punishment to Process
Today, debugging feels less like a punishment and more like a process of becoming.
It’s an art form: the art of turning chaos into clarity.
Every time I step into the debugging process, I’m not just solving a problem — I’m refining how I think, how I approach challenges, and how I adapt under pressure.
And honestly, that’s why I’ve grown to love it.
Because if you can survive debugging, you can survive almost anything.
✦ What about you? Do you see debugging as a chore, or has it taught you something deeper about yourself?
💡 I’m sharing my journey as a developer from Nigeria — the struggles, the wins, and the lessons learned along the way. If this resonates, stick around for more.
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