Is it worth trying?

I remember my first steps in programming — even the simplest things felt like major achievements. Spending hours trying to animate a vector drawing, building a basic interactive game with prompts, or adding a simple soundtrack was then as difficult as it was rewarding. Over time the threshold rises: as we improve and tasks become easier, we must aim for higher goals to reach the same level of satisfaction. Every hobby (or should I say passion) worked the same way — playing guitar, writing, playing basketball… expectations were low enough that the rewards encouraged improvement.

Lately everything seems easier, not only in terms of experience but objectively, given the access to all kinds of information and resources. What 20 or 30 years ago was available drip-by-drip is now so abundant that you might expect everyone to be a prodigy in one or two fields. The paradox is in the reward: the same access that drives learning also lets us compare ourselves to the very best worldwide. The expectation for early achievements becomes so high that it can feel pointless to try — how satisfying is it to make a small conversational game when kids are producing 3D shooters? Or to learn the intro riff of “Sweet Child O’ Mine” when someone like Tim Henson from Polyphia is creating sounds you didn’t know a guitar could make?

Is it worth trying?

My answer is unequivocally yes — but it requires returning to the simple and learning to enjoy the process. Occasionally turning off the computer and doing something only a human can do can help recover perspective. For me, making homemade pizza and improving it through practice helps me rediscover the pleasure of the path, not just the urge to skip stages.

Practice something an AI cannot do for you — it’s the best way to recalibrate our sense of reward.

exit(0);