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The different ways developers act and communicate (called archetypes) are sometimes different and only apply to some. Some people have a mix of archetypes, which can and probably and will change over time. It's essential to know each archetype's good and bad parts and use that to improve.

This is my opinion / interpretation of historical facts, and the reader is encouraged to conduct their research and form their own opinion on the subject matter discussed.


A developer's eudaimonia

The Aristotelian thought is that eudaimonia is achieving the balance between two extremes. Aristotle referred to this balance by the name of Virtue.

To live a virtuous life, one must strive for the middle ground, avoiding both excess and deficiency.

Eudaimonia also relates to the concept of self-knowledge and oneself's place and on the verge of finding it, we could, blinded by the process, mistakenly arriving in "not so desired" places.

Those places in software development became so common that they are today known as developer archetypes. Even though there are several of them, I want to put only two in the spotlight of this thought, the two most important to discuss.

Since we quoted the greek philosopher Aristotle, we could stretch a little and talk about Narcissus: A mythological man who, led by his fixation on himself, eventually felt in love with his reflection in a pool of water. The term "narcissism" is derived from him, and in the worst cases, it could reach Narcissistic personality disorder (or NPD, an actual clinical condition that we won't approach here).

That being said, we have our first archetype, which is The Narcissistic developer or also known as:

The "rockstar"

We know that confidence is a necessary trait for any software developer. It allows for bold experimentation and the ability to take calculated risks.

However, when confidence is taken to an extreme, it can lead to a dangerous state of mind that could breed arrogance, a lack of openness to feedback, and a refusal to consider alternate solutions.

This archetype is often characterized by a strong sense of self-importance and a desire for recognition and success, and for that, they may hold knowledge exclusively for themselves.

They often are less interested in collaborating and tend to be highly competitive instead, viewing themselves as the ultimate authority on a subject showing lack of wisdom. They do not recognize their limitations and instead exalt themselves with overconfidence.

The "impostor"

We all have moments of self-doubt.

But what it most defines this archetype is a constant fear of being found out as not being as skilled or knowledgeable as they appear to be (even when they are achieving success in their work).

They may have difficulty accepting compliments or praise for their work and always attribute their success to external factors such as luck or timing. They may also tend to internalize their failures and blame themselves for things that went wrong.

Not feeling worthy or deserving of success, the fear of being a fraud, lack of confidence in one's abilities, and perfectionism can lead to this archetype imposter syndrome.

It's important to note that imposter syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that affects people from all walks of life; not only developers but in the software development industry is expected as the field is constantly evolving, and the pressure to keep up with new technologies can be high.

I often feel like this and struggle to find my balance. I recognize and acknowledge these feelings, and I also work on building self-confidence and resilience.


Aristotle believed that some of us are naturally born with "something more" while others don't. He would say, for instance, some of us have only suitability for manual labor and not for intellect, believing that slavery was a natural and necessary aspect of society.

The foundation of the Greek thought was: There's a natural place for you and once you take it, focusing on self-improvement, you could achieve perfection and thus, happiness.

The thoughts of this greek leader faded away in time and like the sand in an hourglass, the Greek philosophy (which heavily influenced the way of thinking of the time) with beliefs, such as natural superiority and the acceptance of slavery, was little by little replaced.

358 years after Aristotle and approximately 1.200 miles from Greece, in Nazareth, a new way of thinking was emerging. As Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and beyond, it gradually replaced the Greek way of thinking and began to change the way people thought about morality, ethics, and the nature of the universe.

It began to interact and influence the Greek philosophy and culture all over again, but this time it was not about superiority. Regardless of your religious belief, the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth was about love, hope, compassion, humility and forgiveness. Always emphasizing the value and equality of all individuals regardless of their social statusa and encouraging people to look beyond their own self-interests and focusing on serving others.


In a world where we are used to hearing that our status or so-called "success" is about our earnings or wealth, I found my eudaimonia as a developer (and as a human) based on empathy and easement, trying to make the other live better than he would, if I didn't exist.