I never trust what others "know"...takes a few sources saying the same thing for it to become a "maybe" or an "if they are right". Then I go do my own reading/research/testing, the whole while keeping in mind it's only an "if". If it happens to work, then I need to figure out
why it works. Sometimes I can't figure it out, and it sits there annoying me, gets shelved mentally, and often, when new information comes to light, it all clicks, and viola! I file it away as "proven" and the "why" of it, until proven otherwise.
I recently went through someone's arduino script, which I had no clue how to read in the first place, and worked my way through it until I understood what the program was doing, step by step. The only mystery was the bit math - not the math itself, but why he chose to use it the way he did to affect the results. It was obvious that it made sense to him, and was a very efficient way of producing the results needed, but without being able to see the numbers changing under what circumstances, I'm still in the dark on it...soooooooo bugging me! Going to have to run through it carefully...
The process applies to more than technical mumbo-jumbo. I make up my own mind on...everything. I don't take anything as gospel just because it's been said. Even laws, rules, etc. I've got to tear it apart, look at the gains vs consequences, and decide for myself if I'm going to follow or believe it.
At work, I
hate being told how to do things. Just tell me what needs doing, and let me figure out the most efficient way to get the best results. Show me how you do it, sure, but don't tell me that's the
best way, or the way I
have to do it. I usually take what I've been taught, adapt it to work best with my skills, and end up with something that resembles what I was taught but is a lot more efficient (or easy). Or I throw it out, try something completely different, and if I was too hard or didn't work out, I try a different approach next time, until I hone in on a "better way".
I'm rather tired of seeing people never putting any thought, any personal twist on their approach. Lemmings. I even show them other ways, and they still run in to the same headache the next time. Oy.
This is rather why I am here...there is a better way for me to get to work every day. One that takes less fuel, costs me less resources (money, generally, and/or time). I decided long ago that this is something worth pursuing. When work isn't demanding my full attention (which it rarely does), my thoughts wander quickly on to how to make things better. As in build/modify them to be better - faster or cheaper, or both. It's an ongoing jigsaw puzzle in my head that I'm seemingly always piecing together. Apparently I must like this line of thinking, since I do it a lot and enjoy figuring out everything along the way.
Welp, nice to have an excuse to explain why I'm so messed up compared to most people. It does leave me wondering how many others spend their time dissecting things - whatever interests them - in their minds, and, once they understand it, figure out how they could improve upon it. Anyone?
Anyone?
Back to watching Mustie1 dissect machines on youtube.
