The Echo Chamber of Self-Satisfaction

Being able to give and receive good feedback is probably one of the most important skills new programmers can learn. I say this, definitely not as an expert, but as a complete novice who personally finds it difficult to give and receive honest feedback.

I’ve sat down and really tried to understand why receiving feedback is so hard. It’s not that I fear any sort of criticism, I actually welcome it when necessary. I think it’s something a little bit deeper. When someone gives me feedback, good or bad, I get a moment to peer into the conscience thought of another person. I get to read their thoughts… about ME (shivers). Yes, feedback isn’t always honest or necessarily accurate some of the time, but it can still be incredibly insightful and slightly horrifying.

I think most people would classify me as an introvert; one who only speaks their mind after giving a thought a considerable amount of re-thought. So the pair programming and feedback process I’ve been introduced to so far, has been outside my comfort zone to say the least. That being said, it’s how I grow, it’s how I learn, and most importantly it’s how I improve.

I’ve tried to spend the majority of my life inside my own comfort zone, and honestly, it’s exhausting. Accepting and giving feedback is just one stepping stone on the path outside. Honestly approaching yourself, and others, is one of the most freeing adventures I’ve yet to experience. Think back to your own life, is the place where you are most comfortable also the place where you can be the most honest?

Sorry, I’ve been rambling like a mad man. This all circles back to programming. One of the greatest detriments to improvement would be an echo chamber of self-satisfaction. You have to reach out and collaborate, and expose a part of yourself that’s open to change. Not all of it… it takes time to acclimate. In the process, you will learn from others and maybe come to realize a side of yourself that wasn’t previously visible. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been amazed by reading the code of my peers, their thought process and methodology was entirely different from my own and I’m able to carry that away with me. It’s not easy, but it’s not supposed to be.