from Hacker News

A Programmer's Loss of Identity

by zdw on 2/14/26, 3:41 PM with 5 comments

  • by golly_ned on 2/15/26, 3:38 AM

    I’m wary about the exuberance of AI displacing quality.

    But some of the worst experiences I’ve had with coworkers were with those who made programming part of their identity. Every technical disagreement on a PR became a threat to identity or principles, and ceased being about making the right decision in that moment. Identity means: there’s us, and them, and they don’t get it.

    ‘Programmer’ is much better off as a description of one who does an activity. Not an identity.

  • by sinuhe69 on 2/15/26, 2:49 PM

    This piece is very sad and it resonates with me, especially after we talked about identity and definition of success. The loss of job (if any) is not as fatal as the loss of one’s social identity. Of course, there is always a way out, a way to see things in a positive light. But I believe right now it’s important to let it sink in, to realize what we have to shed on the way to tomorrow. Most (young) people don’t realize it yet.

  • by borzi on 2/15/26, 3:07 PM

    I can't relate to this anymore and honestly after embracing vibe coding, I'm sick of reading posts like this (and I don't want to personally attack the write who I sympathize with to some degree). Being able to code doesn't make you better than the "plebs" who are creating massive value with a vibe coded tool. I also remember the brief moment of disbelief when I noticed AI could really code better than me, until I realized that the amount of problems and projects I could solve now basically exploded, while the stuff I was previously forced to deal with is now a waste of time - on to better things, as was always the case in human history.

    A programmer is someone telling machines what to do - we will be doing more of that than ever in human history. That said, "coders" not so much - maybe its better to identify as a "person trying to help and care for others" than a profession, since the former will always have a place in society.

  • by sriram_malhar on 2/15/26, 6:56 AM

    I totally felt this! It is almost as if the author had decided to reply to my question on Ask HN that didn't receive any eyeballs.

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46960408