Occasionally Cogent

While the enjoyment derived in programming a beautifully elegant system is obvious to pretty much all programmers, I find that it is often just as rewarding, if not more so, to deal with a hideous, complicated, ad-hoc, hodge-podge of a system. The joy you feel when, after hours or days or weeks of effort, you’re finally able to make that elephant dance — that is something special.

The way I see it, the more of a challenge you’re faced with, the larger the opportunities for you to overcome hardship and excel. We should welcome difficult times, as those are the only times when we really have the chance to shine.

The higher the mountain, the more impressive the climb.