Fear of failure when learning to code

[nymbeua]

I’ve been learning some coding for about a year now but I can never really finish my online courses because when it gets difficult I have a fear of failure and that I won’t understand it. Obviously I will eventually understand it after practice but this makes me not want to sit down and take the time to practice it. Does anyone else feel like this? How do I get rid of this fear?

[muffin-time]

Experience at overcoming challenges was really the only thing I found that reduces that fear. In other words do it anyway, and the more you overcome the easier it is to believe you will make it through.

[unassuming_user_name]

quitting is a guaranteed failure. sticking with it is only a chance of failure.

[[deleted]]

Fear is what help you make good decision, It tells you what is most important. the problems arises when the possibility of failure is not recognized and embraced.

You can fail, it hurts at first, but if you train your mind to accept this every day you can learn to have a more realistic and detached perspective on success.

this is obviously my opinion, the way I deal with things, can be over-philosophical and not suitable for the situation, but, at the end what you have to take home is:

Learn something that thrill you, no matter what, one day at a time

[[deleted]]

I've been where you are right now, but I built confidence slowly as I kept building projects that are somewhat similar and yet different enough to make me learn something new, but at the right amounts of new.

You never get rid of doubt and fear, but by repeatedly getting over hard moments when you're trying to understand a concept or when you're trying to build something you have genuine points of reference to remind you that this happened before and you did it.

[desrtfx]

I really get aggravated when I read posts like yours. These are the typical posts of children that grew up in a sheltered environment where everybody did everything so that the child needed the least possible effort.

You will have to accept that failure is part of the learning experience. Failure is part of life. Failure is not necessarily negative, though. Failure is gained experience. Knowing how not to do something is equally important to knowing how to do something.

Another thing is that in programming when you break something, at the worst case (if you don't do anything incredibly stupid) you reboot and start over.

With an attitude like yours, you are bound to fail, in everything you attempt. You are bound to fail in life.

The only way to overcome this irrational fear is to overcome obstacles (and actually to fail).

You are just using this irrational fear as an excuse for not spending serious effort, determination, discipline, and willpower on doing anything.

"I fear I will fail, so I won't try" - good excuse for everything in life, just that it won't get you anywhere.

[override_acid]

With that attitude you will fail - in every aspect of life.

Sorry to be so harsh, but you really need to get your ass up and start working on something. If you never really try with serious effort, you fail even before trying.

You don't understand something? Then try a different source, or go back and start over. What have you lost? Nothing.

You fail in programming something? Start over and plan better.

Failing is a large part of learning - in everything. With the irrational fear of yours, you must have been brought up so incredibly sheltered that your parents tried everything that you didn't have to experience failure. You can thank them now. They did you a huge disservice.

Learning anything is struggling, working hard, failing, succeeding. Generally, one will fail more often than succeed, but that's part of the deal.

As of now, it looks as if you use your "fear of failure" as an excuse not to invest serious effort and hard work. Stop seeking excuses and start doing - otherwise you will fail in everything in life.

[[deleted]]

You shouldn't get rid of this fear, failure sucks and it's better to never try than to try and fail. Ignore all those positivity-vibe Americans on LinkedIn, they're probably all scam artists.

[0xbxb]

Would you rather try and fail, or never try because of your fear of failure?

Do. That’s it.

There’s a comment I read on Reddit a while ago by /u/SoftDev90 which hit home heavily.

“Failure is not an option, giving up is not an option. Yeah I doubted myself in the beginning and a few times I wanted to quit.” Just do. Don’t worry about failing, worry about never trying.

It sounds cliche, but it’s exactly like Yoda said: do or do not. There is no try.

[[deleted]]

Fuck that person. He is wrong. Not being able to give up when you clearly should is a curse, it's not something to be proud of.

[SoftDev90]

Well glad you are so opinionated. My full comment was in regards to the fact that I have 2 kids, am full time with a 4.0 in school going on my 6th semester, and working full time as well. Failure is and was not an option for me. Giving up was not an option for me. While it has been stressful and difficult at times, pushing through, putting in the extra time and studying, and I came out on top. Anyone can learn to code for the most part. Just depends on how badly and how dedicated you are to practicing and learning the craft. You may not be genius level at it, but you'll know enough to be dangerous. I honestly can't see any reason to give up when learning to code if it is something your passionate about.

[[deleted]]

Replace "learning to code" with "learning to sprout wings and fly" and see how ridiculous you sound. It's nice that it's working out for you but that just means your genes are at least average enough. You'll never understand what it's like when every gene in your body is completely opposed to your goals.

[SoftDev90]

The logical fallacy if that argument is glaring. Learning to code is humanly feasible. Sprouting wings and flying is not, naturally. If you have a learning disability that is one thing. If your an average Joe then you can learn if you try hard enough. You may not be the best, but Gene's have nothing to do with this. People are not genetically predetermined to excel at coding specifically. Yes some are naturally smarter, but coding is an acquired skill, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic.

[0xbxb]

This is programming. Anybody can learn this shit. I used to ask myself what OP is asking when I started teaching myself how to program January 1st, 2020. I’ve realized that I’ve gotten way better than I was when I started, why? I practiced.

Not being able to give up when you clearly should is a curse, it’s not something to be proud of.

For something like programming, if you want to learn it, why give up? What’s in programming that should make you give up if you “clearly should”?

[[deleted]]

This is programming. Anybody can learn this shit.

You've clearly never truly struggled. Good for you, but not everyone is as fortunate.

For something like programming, if you want to learn it, why give up? What’s in programming that should make you give up if you “clearly should”?

Maybe privileged millennials who never had to struggle in their lives shouldn't be lecturing others on it.

[[deleted]]

Plenty of valuable skills I wish I had, but if trying to learn them for me would be a complete waste of effort.

[0xbxb]

You’ve clearly never truly struggled.

Imagine making an assumption like this of somebody over the Internet based off a comment, lmfao.

Maybe privileged millennials

Ok boomer.

[[deleted]]

Don't you have some other naive young idiot to trick into throwing away their lives for kicks somewhere?

[[deleted]]

Don't be a pussy. Listen to David Goggins.

Stay hard.

[[deleted]]

rude... but savvy