I was on a tennis scholarship and played a season of pro tournaments until it was apparent that tennis was not my future. Joined IBM upon graduation. Why is this not plausible?
Because your probably the only person in history to have played professional tennis and worked at IBM research? I await your counterexample to disprove this reasoning. :)
Seriously, I think the trolling comment was sarcasism, and your post was actually good advice for the OP.
I get reactions of surprise or even disbelief when people I work with find out that I also enjoy painting and martial arts.
This gives the signal that there is something wrong it.
I really dislike this sort of comments and thinking.
It perpetuates the idea that people who want to work in tech must always be focussed on tech and cannot diverge from that.
Not all people want to be that one-dimensional.
Sorry it's just funny. 99% of people reading your post telling the other poster not to feel inadequate would feel inadequate. Reminds me of the film Meet the Parents where Owen Wilson is the ex boyfriend who trades commodities and does carpentry in his spare time!
Yeah, I can see your point. I am on the autism spectrum somewhere and I am very fortunate that I do not have the crippling anxiety and self-doubt that the OP and others are grappling with. I quit IBM after 6 years because I wanted to have my own business and had only a couple of business meetings lined-up (it failed), I built a software business in mortgage processing only due to some conversation I had with a mortgage broker, I built my present house while I was unemployed, I'm 56 and started my latest software project in a mature industry which I feel is ripe for a change. I just don't feel anxiety or worry and I thank my version of asperger's for this. I try and get rid of all the onion layers surrounding my 'gut' and allow it to speak to me.
My favourite saying to my kids (and one that the OP should heed) is: "It's Ok to be afraid, but you can't let being afraid stop you". And I wish that someone had told me that when I was young because it's absolutely true; you will be afraid, count on it, and that's fine but you need to plow through it. The OP seems very afraid and he is allowing this to debilitate him and his life.
I think it also comes with age. I'm nearly 40 and frankly I don't care what others think about my programming prowess, for better or worse.
Agree on your advice to your kids. Was telling mine something similar over dinner tonight, though my eldest is only 7.
I think the biggest liberation is not keeping up with others. But it's also generational as well. This guy is likely under 40, has a big mortgage etc. The game has (sadly) changed now in that failure is not an option due to crippling debt. At 56 you won't have had to face the same challenges the next generation face. It truly does suck. I think this is crippling productivity as people just cannot take risks as easily any more unless they are fresh out of school.
Sigh! Anyhow have a good weekend and I agree we should not let the above stop us no matter how tough it gets!
I think the guy is hinting that you are a "Unicorn" too-good-to-be-true type of guy.
Raw intelligence at the IBM research is exceedingly rare. Raw athleticism to the point of professional tennis is exceedingly rare. The work ethic and dedication to accomplish either is exceedingly rare.
You're a genuinely accomplished person who has lived up to your potential in two disparate fields. This is so rare.
