> Why does bad code bother engineers so much? Are they actually misguided for feeling like bad code is a catastrophe, or is it really the fault of the broader economic sphere we all inhabit? Is it actually maturity to reconcile ourselves to drift powerlessly as faceless and titanic forces sculpt our reality? So many possible questions.

Nihilism is a defense mechanism when everything is moving against your world view.

STEM people of all walks of life join because of the challenge, the loveliness of an elegant solution, and the “art” you create that leaves your mark. Good engineers view their code as a makers mark. This code represents me as my art and I should do my best. Unfortunately (or fortunately) this is beaten out of you by senior engineer and the shell left is a nihilist and misanthrope.

Corporate programming strips you of your creativity, your autonomy, and your drive. It’s simultaneously strict, but too loose where it should matter. It’s spastic in its execution. There is often little rhyme or reason aside from “build fast make money”. No one appreciates your contributions. You show up to meetings where sales and PMs simultaneously wrestle to take the credit you rightfully deserve. You made it 10 years, here’s another low budget pizza party while the sales team gets an all inclusive in Ibiza. You wanted to make cool, elegant, things, and instead you’re just a factory worker that had to do 7 rounds of interview for the privilege of stacking premade widgets together until retirement.

The end result as I and many engineers at and over the one decade mark have realize. Nothing matters, no one respects you, and no one truly cares. You get paid and promoted whether or not your code is elegant, or safe. You get recognized by prostrating yourself in front of leadership. So why should I give a shit if my code works or not. It passes tests and I get to eat.

The industry is pathetic and we should stop calling ourselves “engineers”. Modern corporate programming is analogous to working on a widget assembly line in the limit. Most of us simply find our joy elsewhere and have learned “hearts and minds” as the rule of corporate life.