My Philosophy
Author
Today, something got me thinking. Most my friends have no idea I know the slightest bit of programming, never mind 2d Graphics Programming! (Gasp!). Yet when they talk about how they want to be, say, artists or writers, all they talk about is money. There's no, say, passion. I don't think I'll be programming anything amazing in the next (at least) five years. The reason I do it is the passion. Staying up 4 hours debugging for something you should have caught instantly isn't "fun", far from it. It's just a passion of mine. I love doing it. I loved it when I made my first "Hello World" Application two years ago, and I loved it when I finally got a red screen running, and freaked out when it wouldn't close and whenever I ran it "Not Responding" was instantaneously declared in the top left. Slaving over Google for Hours On End trying to figure out what the heck error c2168 means and why it's not letting you run your program, discussing my new-found knowledge on here, and staying up late reading the latest programming book I just bought (that I saw someone recommend on gamedev.net) is a passion. The reason 99% of people quit making their first game is because they're not passionate, and it's not something they love to do. It's taken me two weeks to figure out how the heck I'm going to make an object oriented pong system, and it's taken me two days to debug my feeble 200 lines worth of code paddle class, and I'm not complaining, it was one heck of a ride.
Author
It is not your aptitude but your attitude that determines your altitude.
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I agree completely! (HIGH FIVE)
Slaving over Google for Hours On End trying to figure out what the heck error c2168 means and why it's not letting you run your program
It's taken me two weeks to figure out how the heck I'm going to make an object oriented pong system, and it's taken me two days to debug my feeble 200 lines worth of code paddle class, and I'm not complaining, it was one heck of a ride.
Haha and it doesn't get better with time, either! Just yesterday I spent hours debugging some code, reading it over, and over, and over again, thinking "what is wrong with this??". Then I realized I typed "sphere2" instead of "sphere3" and it was such a stupid copy-paste mistake that I didn't even pay attention to that part of the code. My face when I discover this kind of bug looks somewhat like this -> -_-' And it also usually comes through some sort of subconscious revelation, like there was a background thought process going on that was checking the code in parallel, but more effectively - very strange.
But I know what you mean, the thrill of finally making something work is quite nice - the sense of accomplishment is very gratifying (like finishing homework but better).
Most my friends have no idea I know the slightest bit of programming, never mind 2d Graphics Programming! (Gasp!). Yet when they talk about how they want to be, say, artists or writers, all they talk about is money. There's no, say, passion
I've seen that too. I think it's because they see programming as some miracle moneymaker, where you just download some tool, whip up a few lines of code by piecing together internet tutorials, and sell the resulting game on some mobile platform for thousands of dollars. Probably fueled by "indie successes" where they see scruffy nerds making big bucks and immediately think "I have a computer too, how hard can it be?". The truth is, that just doesn't happen in general, and without passion you'll just lose interest quickly before reaching the good stuff. And what is the sense of accomplishment in copying tutorials without understanding anything you're doing anyway?
This probably belongs in the Lounge, IMHO - more of a discussion thread.
Playing games, fantasizing, and enjoying the learning are the major areas for my passion. I suppose there might be some out there who hate the technicalities but I consume them! 
Even the frustrations are welcome because the resistance to my creativity has many benefits.
I feel, also, that a person can to some extent increase or decrease the passion by choice and the thoughts one decides to hold. Ever picked yourself off the mental ground, smacked the dust, and got back in the saddle with a smile and said something like " Okay, let's give it another round." ?
Fireskull
Even the frustrations are welcome because the resistance to my creativity has many benefits.I feel, also, that a person can to some extent increase or decrease the passion by choice and the thoughts one decides to hold. Ever picked yourself off the mental ground, smacked the dust, and got back in the saddle with a smile and said something like " Okay, let's give it another round." ?
Fireskull
I'll tell you what it looks like from the other end of the gravy train.
Most of the people I knew in high school who went into a field 'for the money' dropped out within a few years and went into a completely different field (often real estate sales, for some reason). Some did that, then gave in and followed their passion in their 30s or 40s, and missed some good years of doing what they want. Many had no passion and just fell in to some job they're unhappy with and counting the days until they can retire on full pension.
A handful of people I knew, like myself, followed their passions. We're not monetarily wealthy, but we're phenomenally rich in terms of satisfaction.
So, follow your passion, the money will find you.
Most of the people I knew in high school who went into a field 'for the money' dropped out within a few years and went into a completely different field (often real estate sales, for some reason). Some did that, then gave in and followed their passion in their 30s or 40s, and missed some good years of doing what they want. Many had no passion and just fell in to some job they're unhappy with and counting the days until they can retire on full pension.
A handful of people I knew, like myself, followed their passions. We're not monetarily wealthy, but we're phenomenally rich in terms of satisfaction.
So, follow your passion, the money will find you.
It is currently impossible to purchase time with money... therefore make sure you spend your time wisely rather than trading it for something that can be accrued easily. I've always lived by that rule and will only work on projects that I find interesting and that have great opportunities for learning new things.
Interesting ideology, though some folks who responded are lucky enough to get into a field they like, and are fortunate they can pick and choose.
It's a dog-eat-dog world, were very few folks end up making a living doing what they enjoy doing.
It's a dog-eat-dog world, were very few folks end up making a living doing what they enjoy doing.
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