Remember the last conversation you had on the impression of programmers-people who write code to build software/hardware. I bet the words surround them are still stereotype, geeky, hacky, techy. With friends (mostly single) in both Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley, I feel like speaking it up for these attractive people. Seriously, you will want to go out with them. Let me tell you why.
Programmers are smart, oh boy
They are trained to think out of the box and solve problems. Code is symbolized and abstract. It’s a hard game of solidifying logic. And yet, they are the ones that bring you cell phones, cars, elevators and just about anything that you can not live without. There is no doubt people who do this for a living must be smart. If you go out with them and anything happens, fear no more, they will figure out a way to get through it.
Programmers are brave
They are creators. Often, they challenge themselves to look at the world in a different way, think of problems nobody has thought before and take the risk to turn the idea into reality. It’s mostly spontaneous. And believe me, it is a hard process to go from a concept to a functioning software that people can actually use. They work day and night passionately, they are persistent, brave people who feel lonely sometimes but don’t easily give up.
Programmers are stylishly hot, potentially
I know, fashion and programmers never happen together in almost all context. People are nice enough to draw a picture of how a typical programmer’s daily outfit looks like, they named it ‘The Tech Uniform’. I found it’s actually quite accurate in the valley. But, here is why. Not because they don’t want to appear stylish, it’s that they are too busy to spend time on shopping and picking up outfits. Look at Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs (ok, maybe another Steve to fit to ‘programmer’), they wear almost the same thing everyday. The funny thing about being a programmer is that you have ideas all the time, it’s like Internet linking one to another and it’s hard to resist putting your attention there. But if you throw in some nice clothes and a fashion stylist, I bet they will look a lot different and much hotter. It’s the possibility you should look into when choosing the other half.
Programmers are open minded and friendly
The tech industry is probably one of the most diverse community I have ever seen. Companies promote collaboration among people with all kinds of background on problems of all types. Programmers are generally acceptable to things that they don’t agree upon initially, and they tend to appreciate little happiness like fixing a wrong data type which could make someone’s day. Technology becomes the universal language among programmers and it breaks the ice of strangers. You won’t be surprised to see a soccer team in a tech company with members from different countries.
Programmers are rich, ish
Yes, now is a good time to be a programmer. The market is hot, openings are many, talents are largely demanded. Companies pay generally good salary compared to other industry. What makes programmers more attractive is they are rational consumers. They don’t spend money randomly and emotional shopping is hardly a thing for them. If they are going to buy a ticket for flight, concert or sports, worry no more, you can expect a fairly good price after they do some online research and calculation. Good income and low cost, isn’t that the cash flow you like?
Programmers are mysterious
I personally know a lot of programmer friends. Each of them has very different personality and talents. They cook delicious food, sing amazing songs, champion in martial art, DJ a big party, write best-selling books, tell world-class jokes, or drive awesomely but still safely. Everytime I have a conversation longer than usual or browse on social media, I find the amazing talents of programmers. Honestly, things you might never think he/she can do. Your life is full of surprise if you are with a programmer.
Programmers are romantic as hell
Seriously, when was your last time you received a gift that was made by your beloved one. With a programmer, you can make those daydreams. They are the people who build a set of LED lights to say ‘I love you’, send out a robot to clean your room or hand you a cup of coffee. Some may 3D print a ring to propose to you. Draw the picture when they sit in front of a computer or a desk to put things together just to make you happy. If that doesn’t sound romantic to you in the modern everything-I-can-buy world, you probably should look deeper in your heart.
Photo credit: Yan Wang
If any of these nice things about programmers make you change the impression for them just a bit, I encourage you to pay a visit to the engineering building in your school or IT department in your company, and have lunch with people you meet there.
Alright, I admit, maybe it’s not about dating a programmer, but about getting to know programmers from a new perspective. And maybe it’s not just about programmers, but about people from other fields that are different from you, people who work on a different job and live a different life.
Next time, when you meet someone for the first time, try to be open and appreciative, pretend you don’t know the bulk of prior opinions for them and get to know the person in front of you. That is gonna be amazing experience.