[saalweachter]

In addition to the juvenile power fantasies of being in control and having lots of power, I also wanted to create the crazy things seen in science fiction, for a mix of the purer "I want this thing to exist in the world" and the baser "I'd be so famous if I created this".

Of course, it's a lot easier and cheaper to learn pure programming than to learn programming and how to build robots, which is how I got where I am today.

Granted, it's also gotten a lot easier (now that things like Pi's and Arduino and the associated off-the-shelf robotics sensors, etc exist) and more affordable (as I am a paid programmer and not a penniless yute) to build robots, but doing the really cool stuff is still in the realm of "dozens to thousands of people working collaboratively for years" rather than "one person staying up late and coding while listening to music".

[crpatino]

To answer bluGill and saalweachter both.

If you have power fantasies, may I interest you in the practice of martial arts instead? I know I am biased in favor of that, but I will try anyways.

If you want to learn and make others do your bidding, the first step is to learn how to do your own bidding: "cannot command until can do" and all that. It is very satisfying to be able to decide to do something and then just do it. Most people cannot do that. Most people do not realize they devote precious little of their time to do what they want to do, because they keep just running in the hamster wheel until they grow old and die.

[saalweachter]

I had all sorts of fantastic dreams ... when I was 15.

At this point in my life, I emphatically do not want to be in charge of other people. There's still a little part of me that desires fame and accolades, but it's heartily offset by the part of me that now understands how much I loathe actually being the center of attention.

My dreams as an adult are much more modest and achievable than those of that youthful fantabulist.

Well, mostly. I would still like to build a robot army. But the moon base is probably a bit much.

[bluGill]

I don't have a power fantasy, I have a leisure fantasy. I want a nice garden without having to seed it. I was clean dishes and laundry without having to wash and put them away. I want good food on the table even when I don't feel like cooking. I spend a couple hours a week cleaning my house (putting away toys, sweeping...) that I want to spend doing something else. I don't care how it gets done, just that it is done.