

Brain Management - mdemare
http://dilbert.com/blog/entry/brain_management

======
shiny
I've noticed this as well, although I don't think that programming and
socializing use the same parts of the brain.

It feels like programming directs all brain power toward the
analytical/introspective aspect of my brain, during which the social aspect
gets cold. Then when I have to socialize, it takes awhile to warm up. They are
completely different states of mind.

Dunno if this should factor into whether I should become a programmer as a
career.

~~~
davidcuddeback
I was just thinking about this last night, because I've noticed that when I
spend all day involved in an intellectual task (could be writing code;
yesterday it happened to be writing my thesis), I'm less entertaining to my
girlfriend when we talk on the phone. When I was thinking about it last night,
I guessed that the reason was because I hadn't done anything during the day
worth sharing. Whereas if I do something interesting then I'm more likely to
have an experience worth sharing with her.

This seems to make more sense to me. For instance, when I made a discovery and
when I got accepted to a conference, I had something exciting to tell her.
Even though I may be engaged in intellectual activity all day, I might have no
problem switching gears to telling her good news and talking about travel
plans for the conference.

But perhaps that's different than the dating scenario in the article because
of my comfort level with my girlfriend. Socializing with more-or-less
strangers is a completely different state of mind, as shiny said, than talking
to someone close to you.

I think there could be merit to both ideas. I'll take note of it tonight,
since I'm going to be going to a beer tasting in a couple hours after I've
been engaged in my thesis all day.

~~~
derefr
<http://wiki.lesswrong.com/wiki/Near/far_thinking>

Programming puts you in near mode. Socializing requires far mode. When you
talk to strangers, a short adrenaline boost acts as a "clutch" to allow you to
switch fully into far mode (you introduce yourself from the start, talk about
general ideas and things you did in the distant past/hope to do in the distant
future, etc.) When you talk to your girlfriend, however, the comfort creates
inertia you have to overcome to switch into far mode. A specific, sharable
accomplishment is a bridge, halfway between near and far.

------
heresy
I find it hard to switch off the programming side when I get home after work.

I was a lot more sociable when I still smoked, stopping smoking has been like
turning up the volume to what it was in my early 20s, programming wise.

A good whisky is the best medicine for turning off the left side though.

~~~
michaelneale
I can totally relate to that - well not the smoking bit. but yeah - a nice
scotch and you can turn it off. Otherwise I find I will say "ok, I am
finishing this.." go off and start talking to family/friends, and suddenly
pause, stare into the distance, and then run to the nearest device of mine to
try/make a note of some problem whose solution just popped apparently
completely formed into my head.

but hey, we love this, lets not kid ourselves. Its great - so many people
really hate their jobs, this is a wonderful business.

------
andywood
I don't know if programming makes me less social, but I do know that I'm at my
most social after I've already been socializing with a lot of people. So if
I've spent my day doing anything that isn't socializing, I'm not going to be
very social.

~~~
marram
I agree. I was uber social after spending a couple of days handing out schwag
and chatting with random people at SXSW.

~~~
wallflower
The efficient social power-up hack for this as taught to me by someone who can
engage anyone (and is not always on):

If you are on the way to a party or some other venue where it pays to be
social, park the car far away and on the way over greet _everyone_ you cross
paths with with a warm "Hello!". If you do this right (and park far away
enough/walk enough), by the time you get to the venue you will be lit up and
locked and loaded. Bear in mind, the first hello will suck. Maybe even the
next five. Ok, the first twenty.

But if you can get to twenty one or thirty, the energy will shift from why am
I doing this to I _love_ doing this.

Part of this is because you are warmed up but more importantly you will start
to get people responding to you. Gets you over your fear of rejection because
you're just being a social guy or gal. As always, use your best judgement, but
this technique is platinum. For bonus points, increase your range - target
people across the street by putting your hand up and waving and "HI!"

The abbreviated technique is to greet, pause, and shake hands and/or touch on
upper arm with everyone once you enter a venue - immediately. If you ever want
to watch this technique at work, go to a political fundraiser and observe
(unconscious competence for most).

------
bmobf
Yes, definitely. My brain takes a long time to shift gears.

One thing I've had some success with is writing stream-of-consciousness style
after work for ~500 words. Expressing a ton of thoughts without any filter or
careful thought seems to prime the pump for socializing.

Huh. I wonder if there's any connection there.

------
llimllib
My wife calls this "programming-land". When she comes home, she can tell right
away if I've been hacking or goofing off reading reddit; in the former case
I'm somehow behind the curve social-interaction-wise.

If we're going out afterwards, I can adjust, but it takes a while for me to
get my mind off the problem at hand.

------
cageface
Scott Adams eats microwaved pasta?

First order of business upon becoming rich is hiring a full-time gourmet chef.

~~~
hugh3
Why not just get married?

~~~
cousin_it
Because your wife might just make _you_ cook for _her_?

(I love how both your comment and my retort are obviously sexist. There's
gotta be some paradox about this.)

~~~
hugh3
I was being serious. Old-fashioned women who are happy to marry a richer, more
capable man and do household duties do still exist, but they're much rarer
than they used to be.

The fact that so many of you apparently thought the idea that your wife might
cook for you is sexist kinda makes me wonder what the point of a modern
marriage, from the point of view of a moderately-wealthy-to-rich man (who
doesn't need his wife's income) would actually be.

And don't just say "love", there has to be something else. The man brings love
_and_ money to the table, what does the woman bring?

~~~
cousin_it
I just apply the label "sexist" in the meaning that its inventors intended :-)
That doesn't mean I agree with them that sexist (or racist, or whatever) is
always bad.

I'm single and don't want to marry yet, but I can see why people can still
want to marry even if it doesn't mean acquiring a provider or a cook. The top
reason I can think of is companionship. If you live alone, by default you
spend every evening alone unless you expend effort. This might be hard for
most people. Heck, it's hard for me, but being free to do stuff is more
important to me than staving away loneliness.

------
baha_man
"...while expecting me to simultaneously navigating to our destination."

I guess he was doing something else when he wrote that.

"It is generally agreed that playing soccer is a good crossover skill for
playing tennis, because of the footwork."

Generally agreed? I've never heard this before.

~~~
wallflower
I can see it helping in tennis because being on the balls of your feet (split-
stepping) is key to being able to change direction. And soccer is all about
feints and changing directions.

Soccer is one of those sports where I'd like to get better but lack the
patience to build skills consistently.

If you want to learn how to dribble a soccer ball, do it in the edge of the
surf beachside. The water resistance makes it extremely difficult. Get a small
soccer ball called a skills ball. Soccer or (football) is one of the sports
where footwork can make you a valuable team player. Speaking of which, less
than one month to World Cup 2010!! (June 11th)

------
Qz
Merits aside, you would think someone responsible for years worth of laying
out text in comics would realize their blog font is too f __*ing small.

~~~
olliesaunders
Most browsers have text size adjustment facilities. Ctrl+= comes to mind.

~~~
Qz
I've had this discussion before on a different thread (wherein I didn't get
downvoted nearly as much but hey). Yes I realize I can fix the font size (and
in this case I just pressed Readability). And yet that is a terrible excuse
for the fact that his site is virtually unreadable, considering that he is
someone who, by the nature of his work, should be the last person making Yet-
Another-Unreadable-Blog.

