Embracing Criticism: A Software Engineer’s Guide
Hello, world! I’m a software engineer with 18 years of experience, and I’ve had my fair share of adventures. From building video games to designing robots, I’ve done it all. But today, I want to talk about a different kind of adventure: the journey of personal growth.
In my early years as a programmer, I found myself in a love-hate relationship with code reviews. I loved the learning opportunities they presented, but I dreaded the criticism. I took every comment personally, as if each critique was a direct attack on my abilities.
One day, while scrolling through Hacker News, I stumbled upon a discussion that changed my perspective. The topic? “How do you not take criticism of your work personally?” The insights shared by fellow developers were eye-opening.
One user suggested developing an anti-fragile attitude towards criticism, much like how our immune system improves when exposed to shocks. This resonated with me. As a software engineer, I’ve faced my fair share of bugs and crashes. Why not treat criticism the same way? As a challenge to overcome, rather than a personal attack.
