DEV Community: Robinson Santana Silverio

Hard Thinking vs Soft Thinking

Robinson Santana Silverio — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 21:22:45 +0000

I recently had a conversation with a classmate about how thinking can be broadly separated into hard thinking and soft thinking. We agreed that programing is an excellent method of improve one's hard thinking skills. Programing forces you to tell your code exactly what to do. Any deviation in code results in different result; or a different means and arriving at the same result - this can be more or less efficient.

Programing forces one to be logical. One must consider what one want and how to achieve it; however, soft thinking does have its place in programming as well. Pseudo code is an example of soft thinking's utility. When you face a roadblock, it may be helpful to step back and think about what you are trying to accomplish in general terms. Ambiguity can be the catalyst for a hard course of action; it can also help locate problems worth solving.

While we agreed hard thinking is more prevalent in programing, I would not discount soft thinking's importance in problem solving.

Why I Started Programing

Robinson Santana Silverio — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 01:58:24 +0000

In psychology there is the idea of the id(subconscious), ego(conscious), and superego(society/culture). The idea being these three, or variations of them, represent how we project ourselves. My friends have often told me that my superego is nearly nonexistent. I suspect they are correct, as I never hold my tongue and I never lie. This is not always a good quality to have, but it has made others view me as someone who's word can be trusted.

I could never imagine myself a living sedentary life. So when I looked into what programming could accomplish, and how many ways I could work as a programmer, I had found an excellent career path; always learning and I can pace myself accordingly . Even if my first job is more typical, I can change that once I gain more experience and build by resume. And even if I no longer wish to work for a tech company, programmers are needed in most aspects of American life. With these skills, I can even create my own company if I so choose. Programing may follow me for the rest of my life.

That is the most important aspect of learning to code; I can choose. Every fiber of my being cries out for that kind of freedom. I am thankful to have found a path which can allow me to be myself. (To be fair I would have done that anyway. But now I can gain more from it).

I look forward to what I will learn in the future. And I am beyond excited to see where I take this knowledge and apply it to my goals.

My first few months coding in Washington

Robinson Santana Silverio — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 20:06:00 +0000

I am relatively new to programing and the Greater Seattle Area. It has been an interesting experience to learn programing and a local culture simultaneously. While this area is drastically different than New York City, where I was raised, I do adore the animals, green, mountains, and water.

With respect to programming, I only have positive things to say. The feeling of constantly learning has never been more apparent than since I learned to code; I enjoy the challenge. More than learning itself, programing has increased my ability to learn.

When I argue a topic, go for a hike, or nearly anything else, I see how skills further developed by programming play a role: logic, clarity, simplicity in expression.
These skills have helped me become a better thinker by seeing the flawed logic in others and in myself.