Do all programmers suffer from OCD?
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
It's really not an issue until it becomes maladaptive. If you were late to work because you needed to go home because you can only remember checking your house lock twice.. then it might be an issue.
Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature, because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer. -Fred Brooks
-
Not OCD, but perhaps a very slight form of autism or Asperger’s syndrome (seriously!). There is recent(?) research that identfies autism as a form of hyper-systemizing. Software developers are generally systemizing types -- we look at a problem and, to varying degrees, try to fit it into a model that can be controlled and/or predicted, or we try to solve the problem by building a model that has those characteristics. I think I read an article about it and some of the other properties/traits that help identify those people that may be well suited to engineering-related. I think it was in EE Times last year. Just something to think about... Peace!
-=- James
Please rate this message - let me know if I helped or not! * * *If you think it costs a lot to do it right, just wait until you find out how much it costs to do it wrong!
Remember that Professional Driver on Closed Course does not mean your Dumb Ass on a Public Road!
See DeleteFXPFilesIn my opinion Autism is the new popular diagnosis, much like ADD was in the 90's (Its almost impossible to know for sure, but there were countless kids who were prescribed riddlin that most likely did not need it)
Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature, because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer. -Fred Brooks
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
This is not OCD. From the programmers point of view we all have a habit of double check. I.e. you know that in 90% case user will not leave user name field blank, then also you are checking for blank user name. So same way you know that 99% the car will be locked then also you will double check. Also we have a common habit that we required everything perfect. I.e. we need to have an OK and a Cancel Button on same height, even not a single pixel difference. That’s why we need our normal life things in a perfect order or in a perfect place. I think it’s nothing strange to be a perfect in normal life. You can observe some people involved with mathematics or physics, they might also do the same thing because their errors can cause serious trouble so they need to be perfect, and so they are double checking everything. So don’t worry nobody has OCD, so now stop thinking about the symptoms. :laugh:
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
Paul Brower wrote:
Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
I know a few programmers that could do with a dose of OCD because their shoddy lack of thoroughness leaves a lot to be desired.
Recent blog posts: *SQL Server / Visual Studio install order *Installing SQL Server 2005 on Vista *Crazy Extension Methods Redux * Mixins My Blog
-
In my opinion Autism is the new popular diagnosis, much like ADD was in the 90's (Its almost impossible to know for sure, but there were countless kids who were prescribed riddlin that most likely did not need it)
Einstein argued that there must be simplified explanations of nature, because God is not capricious or arbitrary. No such faith comforts the software engineer. -Fred Brooks
That's what my wife said, she calls it "childhood disease", parent's would come in saying their kid is hyperactive and must be ADHD when all they were being was a rambunctious child. Now not only are kids not allowed to do anything, must be afraid of everyone and must partake of 15,000 extra-curricular activities at age 5 to enable them to get into a university and amass debt they can never repay. They also aren't allowed to behave like kids.
Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore
-
Paul Brower wrote:
Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
I know a few programmers that could do with a dose of OCD because their shoddy lack of thoroughness leaves a lot to be desired.
Recent blog posts: *SQL Server / Visual Studio install order *Installing SQL Server 2005 on Vista *Crazy Extension Methods Redux * Mixins My Blog
Or are you just obsessing over your colleages?
Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore
-
You forgot the try/catch around checking for equality :doh: ;P
xacc.ide - now with TabsToSpaces support
IronScheme - 1.0 alpha 4a out now (29 May 2008)
((lambda (x) `((lambda (x) ,x) ',x)) '`((lambda (x) ,x) ',x))Throw in some locking too.
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
Paul Brower wrote:
Do you have OCD?
Nope.
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
-
Excel!
Visit http://www.notreadytogiveup.com/[^] and do something special today.
Powerpoint :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
-
Me too. I have a hard time listening to other people because they seem to be saying unintelligent things. I need constant stimulation else I get bored quickly. I say things that other don't immediately understand; some people will understand what I said after a week or so. I am a control freak too. I have to check everything. Many times I'm not sure that I did something, so I do again, and again.... just to really be sure.... Not good for relationships but very good for picking up errors in code and typos in resumes.
SilimSayo wrote:
have a hard time listening to other people because they seem to be saying unintelligent things
Yeah, when that happens to me, it just seems like the other people are saying blah-blah-blah like the grownups on the old Charlie Brown cartoons :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
Paul Brower wrote:
I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed.
Is that it? I run NUnit on my alarm clock before going to bed. :~
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
Don't know about OCD, but several studies have found that engineers suffer from dyslexia at higher rates that society in general. This creates a real problem in our over tested high formalized education system which pushes anyone who thinks differently than education bureaucrats out of the system. (It doesn't help that education bureaucrats are amongst the dumbest people I've ever met or listened to and have a striking lack of imagination. And people wonder why schools are screwed up.)
Anyone who thinks he has a better idea of what's good for people than people do is a swine. - P.J. O'Rourke
-
Paul Brower wrote:
I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed.
Is that it? I run NUnit on my alarm clock before going to bed. :~
:laugh:
-
Powerpoint :rolleyes:
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
Open office. ;P ;P
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
-
Many people I know would say I suffer from some sort of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - for anyone not familiar with the term). I have never been 'diagnosed', nor have I ever sought any kind of treatment or medication, because I just consider myself to have a few behavioral quirks. An example of some of my quirks are: - I have to lock my vehicle (with remote) three times. - I check my alarm clock a few times before going to bed. - I have to get up at a certain time, be off to work at a certain time, etc, or I have a bad day. - I have to wash my hands immediately after eating at a public place. - ... you get the idea. Looking back at my life, I realized I never had 'OCD issues' before I was a programmer. Looking at other programmers around me I realize many, if not most of them, display characteristics that some would attribute to a form of OCD. Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
Paul Brower wrote:
Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
I think it has something to do with the different types of programmers. There is not one stereotype for a programmer, but several. You do have the OCD programmer, and the artistic programmer. The artistic programmer forgets everything except for his own code -- sometimes his own name. That is me, the absent minded programmer. I am working on flubber code. I even put tennis shoes on my computer to help. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
-
Open office. ;P ;P
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
Star Office :-\
"The clue train passed his station without stopping." - John Simmons / outlaw programmer "Real programmers just throw a bunch of 1s and 0s at the computer to see what sticks" - Pete O'Hanlon "Not only do you continue to babble nonsense, you can't even correctly remember the nonsense you babbled just minutes ago." - Rob Graham
-
Paul Brower wrote:
Do you have OCD? Do you think it could have anything to do with writing code for so many years?
I think it has something to do with the different types of programmers. There is not one stereotype for a programmer, but several. You do have the OCD programmer, and the artistic programmer. The artistic programmer forgets everything except for his own code -- sometimes his own name. That is me, the absent minded programmer. I am working on flubber code. I even put tennis shoes on my computer to help. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
But do you remember your name, or is that why you named yourself after a body part? ;)
Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore
-
But do you remember your name, or is that why you named yourself after a body part? ;)
Bar fomos edo pariyart gedeem, agreo eo dranem abal edyero eyrem kalm kareore
MidwestLimey wrote:
But do you remember your name
I only worked 10 hours last night, went home early... so today I remember... ask me tomorrow. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
-
MidwestLimey wrote:
But do you remember your name
I only worked 10 hours last night, went home early... so today I remember... ask me tomorrow. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb) John Andrew Holmes "It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others."
OK. Tomorrow? PS What exactly does that question mean to you? I'm stumped. :laugh:
Today's lesson is brought to you by the word "niggardly". Remember kids, don't attribute to racism what can be explained by Scandinavian language roots. -- Robert Royall