10.13.2011 Stresses break the continent into more and more pieces but the planet remains whole. Even at the limit of his personal resources, void of rational explanation, and desperate for a gestalt of his global condition, our hero still manages to wake up and feel hungry, horny, and happy.

When outside forces interrupt the programmer's peace of mind, the creative work of programming can't take place. Coders frequently work into the wee hours of the night because of the continuous calm they find there. Distractions segment flow.

The first inescapable friction in the programmer's life comes directly from office politics. More and more emails are sent to him every day. He has to make up things to say back or risk making a statement by his silence. His managers insist that accountability reports be sent to the whole team. He appears in online video chats. Google Doc spreadsheets broadcast his notes companywide. He doesn't have a moment to digest the ripples that such an open dialog reveals about him. His creative moments evaporate into bureaucracy.

The second force that breaks up his calm is far simpler to explain. He wants things. He needs to provide for others. He believes he deserves recognition. He covets the company's stock options. He learns the habit of self-medicating his lost creative time with stuff. If he can't have the blissful flow and revelation that comes with being inventive, at least he can put a steam shower in his bathroom and drive a new Buick to work.
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