Yeah, he’s figured it out. The illusion of work.
I’m in this story and I don’t like it.
The “blasting drum n bass” is probably the most accurate part, for me.
It sounds like a very UK thing, yeah? I’m trying to think of what the US equivalent would be (I grew up there) but I can’t think of anything. I can picture a 40+ coworker (my age too) listening to the beastie boys and rage quitting though
In the UK drum n bass is a thing since about 35 years. In many European countries there is a stable scence since about 25 years. A friend of mine had a boss in his 50s, who used to DJ drum n bass here in Germany.
I don’t think it ever had a strong mainstream appeal outside the UK though
I’ve had various coworkers use different music. I used to listen to a lot of solo piano stuff because it kept my nerves down. My viking-esque coworker was in constant beast-mode, listening to fast and loud metal all day. From the commute to the gym to the computer. I don’t know how he wasn’t a ball of pure rage but actually it seemed to be an outlet for it, he was a really calm dude.
Metal, pop, and EDM have all been big in offices I’ve worked at.
Dude, you have no idea how the world gets turned down when you’re listening to metal. Strangely, the more “extreme” the metal, the greater the affect.
It’s this lovely blend of catharsis, the beat being quasi-hypnotic, and a sense that there is a sea of other metalheads out there moshing to the same thing, and that same thing is often a scathing hatred of the futility of so many human endeavors.
My wife even noticed it, early in our life together. Said basically the same thing as you did, having no clue how I wasn’t out there punching kittens and slaying enemies after fifteen minutes of listening. Instead, I throw on something like Dimmu Borgir, Metallica (not all that extreme tbh, but still), or Amon Amarth, and ten minutes later, I’m all chilled the fuck out and the only side effect is a tendency to run around the house growling lyrics at everyone while giggling maniacally.
Okay, so, that last part is a me thing, not really universal to metalheads. Or, not that they’ll admit in public. Also, if you’ve never put on socks so that they flop around at the toes, then gambolled through the house, hopping from foot to foot while screaming “dressed as goblins” for fifteen to twenty minutes, you are a poser. Or sane. Also, nekrogoblikon ftmfw!
It does, but no I’m actually in the US and DnB is one of my favorite music genres.
Right???
Literally me irl.
Based
I used to curse to myself while reading code at work. Maybe I thought it demonstrated that I was really working; look how furrowed my brow is, how forceful and heated my mouse clicks!
After being enlightened however, I realize that the only perfectly implemented, bug-free code is no code at all. The app didn’t ask to exist, certainly not in the state it’s in. It too deserves the compassionate understanding that all beings suffer to exist.
Plus I work remotely now so no one can hear me yelling at the computer anyway!
Man I curse looking at my own shitty code.
I’m pretty sure whatever gods created me cursed a hell of a lot while doing it. I know the surgeons did. And since I exist to suffer I give my code no such leniency like this SuFfEr TO exISt bullshit.
I guess I haven’t ascended. I’ve been a SW dev for many years (def >10, probably 15 at this point), I lead a team, and I still curse to myself while working in our codebase. I think it’s because I spend like half my time in meetings so I take half the technical work my reports do, so it bothers me more when I finally try to get something done.
Occasionally I’ll rage-refactor something and submit a massive PR that fixes a bunch of annoying stuff (currently sitting on ~1k changes stashed), but I only send those in just after a release (don’t want to get yelled at for missing a deadline). Or we’ll take too long to make a decision on new dependency, so I’ll just build it in an afternoon (just did that last week; 300-400 LOC).
I’m no rockstar dev, but I can crank out the work when sufficiently pissed off. Otherwise, I just coast a bit like the rest of the team. So if my boss wants me to be productive, he just needs to delay until I get fed up and just do it.
It’s funny to see so many of us recognise ourselves in the description!
Cheers to us all!
I used to work with a “What?!” “Really?!?” “Oh My GOD?!” person. Sometimes, if someone she knew was around, she’d explain what on facebook had her in a tizzy.
It was like nails on a chalkboard. Constant rocks being flung through the fragile windowpane of my concentration.
My friend dated that person. It was Twitter though. We’d be hanging out and his partner would be like “NOOOOOO” and I immediately dreaded the incoming onslaught of Twitter drama bullshit.
I feel attacked.
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