An Unusual Advice for Those Beginning to Code

There is a topic that permeates across all areas of knowledge, yet it is seldom mentioned. I would dare claim that knowledge wouldn't exist without it. That is the non-contradiction principle.

When you are trying to understand an article, like you are doing right now by reading this, you are applying the non-contradiction principle. What is this text trying to inform me, the reader? — What this text isn't trying to inform me, the reader? — By doing these questions while you read this text, you are applying the non-contradiction principle.

My advice for newcomers to coding is to solve logic puzzles, specially so if they haven't done a single one in their life.

Solving logic puzzles will improve your skills on interpretation and expression, will organize your thoughts and will make you more comfortable with mathematics in general (and mathematics is a requirement for becoming a skilled software developer).

As you do more and more logic puzzles, you'll begin to notice general patterns that repeat across many logic puzzles, and by remembering these general patterns, you'll be able to solve the next puzzles more quickly.

Some patterns are so general that you'll even be able to apply them outside puzzles and to problems on your real life.

I have begun doing logic puzzles regularly since 2009, and I've noticed a pattern on the people around me. They are full of internal contradictions and they often don't notice it. To have internal contradictions is a problem, because it hinders the expressiveness of a person.

There are people that are so full of internal contradiction that, when they begin trying to explain something, it quickly becomes a mess.

By adhering to the non-contradiction principle, your mind will grow more coherent and you'll begin to understand what is that that you are trying to express and what is not that you are trying to express.

Internal contradictions also prevent people from actually doing something. Why there are people that tremble when they are in fear? My hypothesis for that is as follows:

They are in a state of contradiction, unable to decide between run away and flee or stay and fight back, as if there are physical forces pulling the body in opposite directions, thus causing the tremor of the body. The person, by trying in contradiction to be the one that run and flees and the one that stays and fights back, becomes neither of these. Not only solving logic puzzles improved my text interpretation and expression skills, it has also improved the movement of my own body.

Either do it or do not do it, and there will be no tremor.

Although I'm a devout follower of the non-contradiction principle, I don't think it solves everything, but I'll leave its shortcomings to another article. For now, I advise you to try to solve some logic puzzles.