What about abstract thinking ? at 23 I used to rush through never ending streams of programming ideas, most of them were shallow if not stupid. I'm "slow" now, but in a "make haste slowly".. I take time to grasp higher level, more precise ideas instead of running head down.
The bit about the existential shift in priorities rings true to me. At 20 you dream about mastering the future, at 40 you couldn't care less.
Yup. I think slower, but I go in fewer false directions, create fewer bad designs, and write fewer bugs and maintenance headaches. Overall, I think it's a net win - I'm faster than I was, not because I'm slinging code faster, but because I'm faster at getting to the right code.
But, um, could y'all stop changing the procedures on me every week? I ain't got time for that...
Oh right, the "random change" is mentally exhausting. Especially when it's fad driven... That's half why I went into math and electronics as a hobby.. a little stabler than programming.
The bit about the existential shift in priorities rings true to me. At 20 you dream about mastering the future, at 40 you couldn't care less.