[breck]

> Have you had moments where you did a sober double take and decided to alter your course or commit to it and stay on it? Heck, maybe close the laptop altogether.

One data point for you: In 2011, age 27, I left the laptop in San Francisco and took off with a backpack, thinking that I might never code again. About 2 months in I was in Thailand and randomly stumbled across an interesting book on assembly language, got myself a netbook, and was hooked. That was the last time I questioned it. I love programming and will do it as long as I'm living.

> What questions would you say one can ask themselves to really get to the bottom of it?

Is there a big question or contrarian idea that motivates you?

My biggest mistake in life has been not believing in myself when in the minority, and thinking my math or understanding of the world must be wrong and I must be the crazy one. After 2020 (when most of the world went full idiot regarding a bad flu), I realized I was completely wrong about the distribution of courage, honor, and intelligence in society, and that society is often crazy, and the ones called "crazy" by the talking heads are actually often the sane ones (Elon is a great case in point right now).

[parthianshotgun]

You had us in the first half