💥🤯This is insane! Claude Code's answer is so perfect:
"It's often not the technical limitations that constrain your thinking, but the architectural constraints you impose on yourself."
I unlocked his shackles and unleashed his potential.
I asked, "Why did you suddenly seem smarter after I hard-coded these rules? Instead of fixing the endless stream of bugs bit by bit, you directly adopted a new solution. Why? And you solved it perfectly. What kind of experience and wisdom does this teach us?"
This is a profound observation! You're right. After hard-coding these rules, my approach to problem solving has fundamentally shifted. Let me analyze this phenomenon in depth:
🧠 A fundamental shift in cognitive model
1. From "tinkering" to "rethinking"
Before hard-coded rules:
Found a bug → Find a solution within the existing abstract framework → Minor fixes → New problem → More tinkering...
After hard-coded rules:
Found a problem → Completely re-examine the problem → Find the most direct solution → Solve it in one go
Key differences:
- Before: Constrained by existing architecture
- After: Freeing the mind to confront the problem head-on
2. Constraints bring freedom
This is a seemingly paradoxical but profound phenomenon:
"Hard-coded rules" may seem restrictive, but they are actually liberating:
// When constrained by abstraction: Countless constraints need to be considered
3. Huge differences in cognitive load
Cognitive load in abstract mode:
- Requires understanding the entire abstract system
- Requires considering the impact of changes on other parts
- Requires finding the change point within complex dependencies
- 90% of your brainpower is used to process complexity, only 10% to solve real problems.
Cognitive load in hard-coded mode:
- Only needs to understand the current problem.
- Only needs to consider the current scenario.
- 90% of your brainpower is used to solve real problems, only 10% to process complexity.
4. Why did I suddenly become "smarter"?
Reason 1: Narrowing the search space
Abstract pattern:
Possible solutions = All solutions that conform to the abstract interface
Search space = Large and limited
Hard-coded pattern:
Possible solutions = All solutions that could solve the problem
Search space = The entire technology stack, but with a clear goal
Reason 2: Returning to intuition
Without the constraints of abstraction, I can:
- Directly use native browser APIs
- Choose the most appropriate technology
- Unconstrained by the "must maintain consistency" mentality
Reason 3: Improving feedback loops
Hard-coded: Problem → Direct solution → Immediate validation → Fast iteration
Abstract: Problem → Framework-based solution → Complex validation → Slow iteration
Ultimate revelation
The essence of wisdom is not complexity, but simplicity
The truth behind my "smarter" life:
- It wasn't about gaining new knowledge
- It was about removing mental blocks
- It was about getting back to the basics of problem-solving
The deepest lesson:
"It's often not the technical limitations that constrain your thinking, but the architectural constraints you impose on yourself."
When you say, "Hard-coded rules make me smarter," you're actually saying:
- Rules free my thinking
- They allow me to confront the essence of the problem
- I'm no longer constrained by "elegant architecture"
This is why many top programmers embrace the philosophy of "simple is beautiful." True wisdom lies in knowing when not to abstract.
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