Anyone can code!

I've seen a lot of posts recently on r/learnprogramming, mostly dealing with age, asking, "can I program?", "is it too late for me?", etc. Well, let me offer you some words of encouragement FoC.

You can do anything you set your mind to. I believe in you.

There are many reasons to believe that you can't program. Maybe you're old. Maybe you're young. Maybe you don't have as strong a math background as you would like. Maybe there's a little voice in your head telling you you're not smart enough, you missed the boat. etc. We are naturally risk averse. And we definitely don't like venturing outside of our comfort zone.

But that's where growth happens!

Similarly, there are many reasons to believe you can. All a computer does is automate the execution of logic processes. Have you ever faced a problem and solved it? Can you express the sequence of decisions that solved that problem? If so, congrats, you can write in pseudocode (aka Python).

Logic is the scientific art of ordering the operations of the mind so that man can continue with ease and a minimum of error. Artists use engineering tools all the time. How else would you draw a straight line? A programming language is merely a tool and like other tools, it takes experience and curiosity. Anyone can use a hammer... anyone can use a miter saw... and maybe it takes an apprenticeship for larger projects, but building a house is not outside the realm of your capabilities, so why would building a website/program be?

Math is the language of the universe. Who could better understand that language than her own children? You do math in your head without even thinking about it. Imagine throwing a ball up into the air and trying to catch it. Your brain is calculating the parabola that ball is traveling, and your legs are moving you to be under it, keeping balance all the way. What a complex process! (even imagining it is inexplicably complex) If your brain can do that, without your involvement, imagine what you could do if you apply yourself.

We are students of life. We are all artists... even the logicians. And your potential is infinite.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. " - Marianne Williamson