I have written entire applications just to avoid thinking about why I was unhappy. Programming gives you instant feedback. You run the thing, and it works. Or it doesn’t, and you fix it. Either way, you’re doing something. That kind of agency is addictive. Especially when the rest of life doesn’t offer it. We program because we can, even when we shouldn’t. Because at least it gives us something to rebel against.

Sometimes, it’s OK to just use the thing. Sometimes it’s enough to know why it’s broken—even if you don’t fix it. Sometimes the most disciplined thing you can do is walk away from the problem you know how to solve. There’s a kind of strength in that. Not apathy, no. Nor laziness. Just… some restraint.