Be proud but not arrogant
As software engineers, we sometimes refer to our work as “craft” – part of it is because we take pride in our work. We tend to cherish our work (e.g. our open source libraries), polish our software over a long period and relentlessly chase perfection. If you have done good work, you should be proud of it – the same way an artisan would be proud of their product.
You should however be cautious and not become arrogant. Arrogance is harmful for two reasons:
- No one likes to work with arrogant people – even if you are right, don’t be condescending, listen to others and explain things. There’s no point being the smartest in the room if no one listens to you.
- Arrogance will prevent you from learning from others – the world is big and there’s always someone who is either better or who can share interesting insights that you never thought about
If you have a rough start of the week, look back at what you accomplished, be proud of it and look ahead 🙂