Friday, March 21, 2008
Simplicity
What is simplicity?
According to MERRIAM-WEBSTER ONLINE, there are two entries that I found relevant
a: directness of expression : clarity b: restraint in ornamentation : austerity
If austerity were to refer to the external, tangible, physical stuff, that would be too superficial and does not provide us any insight into how clarity fits in as a synonym.
So, then, it has to be in the mind.
What state of the mind do we refer to as simple.
Let us say, you have been preparing hard for a job interview and now the day is nearing and you need a dress.
You go to the store, browse, select one and go to the check out counter, buy and come home.
Simple, right?
So,then, what would a non-simple mind have you do.
You go to the store, browse, select one, and while standing in the checkout line find this helpful and resourceful lady next to you in line, who tells you that,
for one penny more, you could buy another one of the same dress, 'It is the Penny Sale!'.
The next thing you know, you are driving home reveling in your good fortune and announcing the bargain sale to all your friends and some.
So why is this a non-simple behavior of a mind?
After all, you got such a value for almost nothing.
Because, in this instance, the mind lacks focus and clarity. There is clutter in the mind, in that, it cannot identify the priorities.
So then, Simplicity would equate to Clarity and Focus of the mind.
The clearer and focused you are about your priorities, the simpler you become.
When clarity and focus exist, your being expresses itself in all its glory.
Let Simplicity reign!
According to MERRIAM-WEBSTER ONLINE, there are two entries that I found relevant
a: directness of expression : clarity b: restraint in ornamentation : austerity
If austerity were to refer to the external, tangible, physical stuff, that would be too superficial and does not provide us any insight into how clarity fits in as a synonym.
So, then, it has to be in the mind.
What state of the mind do we refer to as simple.
Let us say, you have been preparing hard for a job interview and now the day is nearing and you need a dress.
You go to the store, browse, select one and go to the check out counter, buy and come home.
Simple, right?
So,then, what would a non-simple mind have you do.
You go to the store, browse, select one, and while standing in the checkout line find this helpful and resourceful lady next to you in line, who tells you that,
for one penny more, you could buy another one of the same dress, 'It is the Penny Sale!'.
The next thing you know, you are driving home reveling in your good fortune and announcing the bargain sale to all your friends and some.
So why is this a non-simple behavior of a mind?
After all, you got such a value for almost nothing.
Because, in this instance, the mind lacks focus and clarity. There is clutter in the mind, in that, it cannot identify the priorities.
So then, Simplicity would equate to Clarity and Focus of the mind.
The clearer and focused you are about your priorities, the simpler you become.
When clarity and focus exist, your being expresses itself in all its glory.
Let Simplicity reign!
Labels: clarity, exception_handling life stress programming, focus, mind, simplicity
// posted by Hari @ 10:12 PM 0 Comments
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Friday, April 13, 2007
Are you "Exception-safe"?
Life throws exceptions at us all the time
- the driver that suddenly cuts in front of you, angry client calls, curve balls thrown by family members and not to mention the crimes in the community, catastrophes around the world and so on.
Exception handling in software programming is basically handling abnormal scenarios gracefully even though we don't like for them to happen. Bad handling or no handling includes yelling at the user by showing them the internal error messages, blaming the user for the problem and/or crashing the application.
We all know why not having exception safe code is bad. It is simply asking for trouble as it is denial of the reality. Things happen. The best approach is to do as much as possible to prevent it but accommodate the rare occurrences of the odd ball cases that you are not aware of. The truth is you cannot anticipate everything.
Exception handling routines acknowledge the problem, log them for analysis later and help the program resume or quit in a reasonable fashion.
Just as it is good for your application, having such routines for your life also can be very beneficial for the same reasons.
- the driver that suddenly cuts in front of you, angry client calls, curve balls thrown by family members and not to mention the crimes in the community, catastrophes around the world and so on.
Exception handling in software programming is basically handling abnormal scenarios gracefully even though we don't like for them to happen. Bad handling or no handling includes yelling at the user by showing them the internal error messages, blaming the user for the problem and/or crashing the application.
We all know why not having exception safe code is bad. It is simply asking for trouble as it is denial of the reality. Things happen. The best approach is to do as much as possible to prevent it but accommodate the rare occurrences of the odd ball cases that you are not aware of. The truth is you cannot anticipate everything.
Exception handling routines acknowledge the problem, log them for analysis later and help the program resume or quit in a reasonable fashion.
Just as it is good for your application, having such routines for your life also can be very beneficial for the same reasons.
So do you have exception handling routines for your life?
How would a template of such routine look like?
1. Catch the exception
It sounds trivial, but a lot of times we resist, deny, react angrily, get frustrated, blame others and so on when faced with "exceptional" people, situations and events.
Accept the exception that has been thrown. Understand that the present moment is the reality and it is inevitable.
90% of the problem is solved right here.
2. Handle the exception
Contemplate on the exception based on what information you have with an open mind.
If you do not want it to happen again, see what you can do about it.
2. Handle the exception
Contemplate on the exception based on what information you have with an open mind.
If you do not want it to happen again, see what you can do about it.
Like, on your morning commute to work, you may want to give yourself additional buffer time so that when someone cuts in, you are ready because you are now relaxed and alert and most importantly not in a hurry.
Remember, the only thing you have control over is yourself just like the only thing you have control over in your application is your code and not what the user or machine or network does.
Change your attitude towards life.
Practice breathing and relaxation routines.
Eat healthy, Exercise, Drink plenty of water and
Dedicate some quiet time to yourself everyday.
Soon, you will find yourself handling the exceptions with ease and grace as they happen that they would merely become event handling.
Happy coding and stay exception-safe!
Remember, the only thing you have control over is yourself just like the only thing you have control over in your application is your code and not what the user or machine or network does.
Change your attitude towards life.
Practice breathing and relaxation routines.
Eat healthy, Exercise, Drink plenty of water and
Dedicate some quiet time to yourself everyday.
Soon, you will find yourself handling the exceptions with ease and grace as they happen that they would merely become event handling.
Happy coding and stay exception-safe!
Labels: exception_handling life stress programming
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