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Well, welcome to my talk! It's called "TDD for Your Soul," subtitled, as you can read, "Virtue and Software Engineering."
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TDD, just for those of you who weren't sure what that meant, is an acronym for Test-Driven Development.
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Sure, most of you know that already, but Test-Driven Development is an approach to writing software.
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A lot of people find it beneficial; I like it myself. It helps in a lot of ways in your process.
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What I'm doing in this talk is considering what it could mean to apply that process to ourselves as people.
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Ultimately, we want to not just become better at coding or at engineering, but to be better human beings. That's where we're headed.
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If you're in this room expecting something else, it's too late because the doors are locked, so you're stuck with me.
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Hopefully, you can pick up something along the way, even if that’s the case.
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Like I said, TDD is this process of Test-Driven Development, which is usually shorthand for saying something like 'red, green, refactor.'
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So, 'red' means writing a test specifying some behavior, and because you haven't implemented the code to make that behavior happen, that test is going to fail.
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That’s the 'red' piece—where the test is failing.
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The next piece is getting that test to go green, meaning that you write the implementation needed to make that test pass.
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The third piece, often forgotten, is refactoring.
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Now that you have a test that locks in the desired behavior, you can feel free to refactor.
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You can rename, modularize, or do whatever you need to improve your code, and that test should still pass.
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So, you feel free to do that, and then you just repeat the process again, starting with 'red'—writing a new test.
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That’s the process of TDD.
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I started thinking about applying this process to ourselves because I don’t think you can really argue that science itself—
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the process of discovery, learning, and inquiry—does not necessarily lead to virtue.
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Technologists, you know, people who are on the cutting edge of engineering, are not necessarily good people.
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They are not virtuous just because they know how to do certain things.
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An excellent example to illustrate my point is Walter White from Breaking Bad.
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I see you're familiar; it’s a popular show. You should watch it if you haven't.
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The premise is that Walter White, a genius chemist, is initially a high school teacher.
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However, he uses his abilities for ill by cooking meth.
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How could one think of anything worse? He becomes a meth kingpin, using his brilliant mind and capacity for science and engineering.
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He does not use it virtuously.
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Just so you know where I stand, I am not someone who entered the software engineering field with all these ideals.
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I got into software engineering to get paid. I just wanted to make money.
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I aspired to have indulgent luxuries, such as a goblet filled with olives or dogs playing poker in my living room.
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That's what I was aiming for—surrounded by bodyguards, just in case.
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However, throughout my journey as an engineer, I started to realize that there's an opportunity for me to do more than just make money.
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I recognized the chance to embrace a journey, to work on my vulnerabilities and flaws, and strive to become the best person I can be.
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If you’re anything like me, you will resist a process like this because I did, and I still do, even as I try to undergo it.
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To inject a little energy in here since we're all friends, I’m going to try something.
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I know you’re usually half on your phone and half paying attention at tech conferences.
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I want you to help me verbalize this natural tendency to resist thinking about our character, our virtue, and who we are as people.
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When I found myself in this situation, I would say to myself, 'But Abraham, I just want to code!'
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Let's try that together! But Abraham, I just want to code!
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This phrase verbalizes what you're already thinking: you don’t want to deal with this stuff.
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When I call on you, I want you to say that back to me.
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One more time, together: But Abraham, I just want to code! Any animosity you have towards me, just channel into that phrase, and we’ll be good to go.
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Let’s consider what virtues could mean for software engineering and for ourselves.
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The four classical virtues we’re going to use as a framework are self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom.
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Self-control, courage, justice, wisdom—that's what we're going to talk about.
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But I know, deep down, you just want to code.
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Let’s start with the first virtue, which is self-control.
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What does self-control have to do with software engineering, you may ask?
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When I started—learning Ruby, which is known for being friendly and accessible for learners—that's one of the things I love about Ruby.
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Ruby is expressive, with good documentation and lots of resources.
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I would sit in Starbucks, working through exercises and puzzles, trying to become an algorithmic thinker.
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Often, I would hit a stumbling block, like trying to call a method on a nil object.
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At first, this was disheartening. I would get upset and frustrated—
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Starbucks was not the best place to struggle alone, by the way.
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Being new can be lonely, and once you hit a stumbling block, it feels like you might as well take the rest of the day off.
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My lack of self-control often manifested in those moments.
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However, when I reflect on self-control, you might not experience the same impatience as I do, but it can be hard.
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As developers and engineers, it’s difficult to talk about self-control.
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We often work in environments that seem very indulgent to those outside of our world.
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My dad worked in the sewers of Chicago; I don’t think he would understand these environments.
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It’s an interesting discussion about self-control as developers.
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Or perhaps you can relate to a scene from XKCD that reflects this idea.
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As engineers, we often want to know the truth and what is right.
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For many of us, this drive to know leads us to stay up late working on projects, often at the expense of dinner or sleep.
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This highlights how our lack of self-control can manifest.
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There’s a relevant scene from the sci-fi classic Dune.
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I recommend it; look it up.
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The protagonist, Paul, has superhuman awareness.
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He describes grasping the present and experiencing the complexities of time.
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He perceives the massive movement of time complicated by shifting currents.
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This alarming awareness captures how overwhelming possibilities can feel—especially for someone who is new.
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You might not know where to start. Test-Driven Development aids in this regard, forcing you to take a path.
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David Stetl argues that it’s about determining your objectives before jumping into coding.
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Writing a test—or a specification—forces intentionality and purposefulness in your actions.
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It limits you in a good way, allowing you to exercise self-control.
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I found that my resistance to TDD often stems from my struggle with self-control.
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As you reflect on this, think about how self-control as a developer relates to other areas of your life.
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My dad narrated a crucial lesson to me through action films: a man must know his limitations.
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Self-control involves knowing yourself and which desires to follow or resist.
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Instead of leading our desires, we often let them dominate us.
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Reflecting on our self-control can illuminate limitations we possess, both as developers and individuals.
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This reflection encourages growth in both areas.
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But let's discuss the next virtue—courage.
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What does courage have to do with engineering and software development?
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There’s courage in simply being an engineer—being curious and facing problems instead of avoiding them.
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Some of us get energized by tough situations, where the solution isn't clear yet.
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I’ve skipped lunch, deep into a project, completely absorbed in the complexity.
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That’s a rarer moment for me.
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There’s a courage in tackling problems head-on.
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Richard Feynman, a Nobel Prize winner in physics, stated that the real joy lies in discovering things.
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It’s not about accolades but the thrill of discovery and the impact of his work.
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Next, we should explore courage in the context of pair programming.
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For those unaware, pair programming involves two developers working at one machine, sharing a keyboard.
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This pairing often requires courage, yet many resist the idea.
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How many of you pair program all day?
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For the rest of you, when it comes up, it’s beneficial.
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Pair programming is a great learning opportunity.
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However, when confronted with it, I often try to find a way out.
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The vulnerability in exposing your thought processes is daunting.
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You may doubt whether your thinking is sound.
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With a pull request, you can iron it out beforehand.
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But in pair programming, it’s live, spontaneous.
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That causes a lot to resist.
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Let’s get real: in one of my early projects, I encountered a simple task—to find the mode of an array.
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I took quite some time, around two hours, and felt proud of my solution.
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But reflecting on it now, I realize I was proud of how unreadable it was.
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I thought I knew what was going on, line by line.
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Later, I saw another solution from a peer, Kevin, who approached it differently.
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Instead of being inspired, I felt personally challenged.
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But if I had embraced courage, I could have learned from that and improved.
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Brené Brown says that courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.
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Resisting pair programming or mentorship is missing an opportunity to grow.
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Engineering is a chance to grow in courage, both as engineers and as people.
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But let’s talk about another virtue—justice.
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What does justice mean in coding?
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Justice is often depicted with Lady Justice as someone blindfolded.
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This symbolizes impartiality and the balance of scales.
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Simply put, justice can be defined as giving to each person what they are owed.
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Expanding that, it's about giving to each person, institution, or community what they are owed.
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Justice requires a perception of order that informs our societal norms.
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Michael Sandel from Harvard explains that discussing justice engages us in thinking about the best way to live.
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While some overlaps exist, different conceptions will arise.
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Nevertheless, we must write maintainable code—and that is just.
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Just code is defined by at least two obligations: an obligation to time.
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When I work on exercises with Ruby, I have no obligation to time when I am playing around.
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But in a professional setting, the code you write must last and function over time.
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Over time, requirements change: user expectations or technology advances.
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That means just code must recognize that things will change.
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Sandi Metz highlights that design is more about preserving changeability than achieving perfection.
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This involves naming, organizing, and pulling things into abstractions when appropriate.
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The reason we engage in this is that our code is dynamic and subject to change.
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The second obligation is that the code is not just for you; it's for others.
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Think about your obligations to future developers who will read your code.
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It’s the most selfish way of thinking—you’ll have to reread your code after six months.
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You have an obligation to the people coming after you.
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Writing just code satisfies that obligation.
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Avoiding unjust code is essential; we don’t want to be in that situation.
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You’ll find that writing code that is changeable and accessible to others fulfills your obligations to your community.
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Reflecting on this can help evaluate your life: am I navigating obligations to those around me?
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This could be a time of growth for you in virtue.
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The last virtue is wisdom.
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What does wisdom have to do with coding?
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Wisdom often comes from reflection.
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Confucius said we can learn wisdom through three methods: reflection (the noblest), imitation (the easiest), and experience (the bitterest).
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Reflection for engineers often involves writing, reading, and studying.
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I hope those working as engineers carve out time for reflection.
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How many of you make time for reflection? It’s crucial.
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The second method, imitation, occurs often during pair programming or code reviews.
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This is an effective way to gain wisdom.
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The third is through personal experience, which comes with pain and suffering.
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Many of us pride ourselves on learning through that experience.
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Confucius illustrates that learning through experience is often the hardest.
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Uncle Bob mentions design patterns as well-worn solutions to common problems, illustrating how wisdom functions.
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This demonstrates wisdom: applying learned patterns to avoid past mistakes.
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So ask yourself: how are you growing in wisdom?
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What is your plan for growing wisdom, whether through reflection or imitation?
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Over the years, we’ll gain experience, but we need to be intentional.
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Who do we want to imitate? Who do we want to be in life?
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Reflect on your relationships with those who inspire you.
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These questions arise as we reflect on wisdom in engineering.
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But Abraham, I just want to code.
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I know; I understand.
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Today, we reviewed the four classical virtues: self-control, courage, justice, and wisdom.
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These can apply to us as engineers and as people.
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This journey of virtue can be summed up by a few questions: who am I? Who ought I to become? How should I get there?
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When you think about TDD in your life, test yourself—how can you improve?
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For myself, I wanted to grow in courage—so I set a goal to ask more questions at work.
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Initially, I failed at this, but with time, I began to pass by consistently engaging.
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I surrounded myself with comfortable, knowledgeable peers, asking questions to learn.
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That’s what I mean by evaluating your soul through TDD.
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Be brutally honest about your flaws and how to address them.
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Darth Vader makes me consider a lack of tests in our lives; it’s disturbing.
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Many people balk at growing in virtue due to shame.
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Shame contrasts with guilt—it’s an emotion of feeling bad about yourself.
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This creates an internal narrative: 'You’re not good enough; you won’t succeed.'
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Shame stops us from embarking on a journey of growth because we fear discomfort.
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This narrative is pervasive and keeps us from seeking improvements.
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Criticism can feel like an anchor weighing us down, hindering growth.
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Yet with the right mindset, criticism can transform into a buoy that lifts us up.
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Embracing growth opportunities can lead us on an adventure, refining our character.
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The blues came from the struggle and oppression that generated music.
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Ralph Ellison describes it as an impulse to keep painful experiences alive.
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This embraces the painful details and transforms them into lyricism.
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In making character from our vulnerabilities, we can transcend those experiences.
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This encourages us not only to become better coders but ultimately better people.
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I hope this conversation about virtues and TDD resonates with you.
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You can distribute this journey in your way and reflect on these concepts.
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If you have questions or critiques, I’d love to hear them.
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My name is Abraham, and I work at Central in Chicago. We’re hiring, too!
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I appreciate getting this opportunity to speak to you.
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Now, I’ll open the floor for any questions you may have.
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You all just want to code? That’s understandable.
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Thank you for listening, and thanks for attending!
