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I've noticed that consciousness recedes when I'm deep in a coding phase, many back-to-back days in flow. My mind narrows to tunnel-vision, fixated on the software and its issues. My sense of self shrinks; non-code ideas cease to arise; I get less curious; writing yields little.

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Alistair Grant

@akg044

Oct 18, 2020

You may be interested in Sam Harris' discussion of "self", he uses getting in to the flow of software development as an example of losing our sense of self. This is a recurring theme throughout his podcasts, but this might be a good starting point: samharris.org/subscriber-ext

Alistair Grant

@akg044

Oct 18, 2020

I personally enjoy the feeling of being in the flow of software development and (usually) the sense of accomplishment I feel when I leave it. (Doesn't happen nearly as much now as when I was younger).

Andy Matuschak

@andy_matuschak

Replying to

@akg044

I wish I did! Now it usually just feels like something “in the way of” continuing to explore the ideas I have in mind. It also usually feels like something someone else could do, which bothers me; I want to spend my time on things few others can do.

2:54 PM · Oct 18, 2020TweetDeck

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