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Jepsen

Posted on • Originally published at networkspirits.com

Object-Oriented vs Functional: Why Your Ego Needs Refactoring

#programming #ego #functional

Originally published at Network Spirits

Think about the difference between object-oriented and functional programming. One bundles data with behavior, the other treats everything as transformations. One maintains state, the other stays stateless.

Your ego is object-oriented. And that's the problem.

The Object-Oriented Ego

In OOP, you create objects that bundle data with methods:

class Car { constructor() { this.color = 'red'; this.speed = 0; this.fuel = 100; } accelerate() { if (this.fuel > 0) { this.speed += 10; this.fuel -= 5; } } // Protects internal state validateSpeed(newSpeed) { return newSpeed >= 0 && newSpeed <= 200; } }
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Your ego works exactly the same way:

class Ego { constructor() { this.beliefs = new Map([ ['smart', true], ['programmer', true], ['good_at_math', false] ]); this.defenses = ['deflect', 'rationalize', 'blame_others']; } handleCriticism(feedback) { // Protects existing beliefs if (this.threatensBeliefs(feedback)) { return this.activateDefense(); } return this.minimizeResponse(feedback); } // Resists change to maintain consistency updateBelief(key, value) { if (this.beliefs.has(key)) { // Only accept changes that don't threaten core identity return this.beliefs.get(key); } } }
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Just like rigid OOP code, your ego:

  • Bundles data (beliefs) with behavior (reactions)
  • Maintains state across interactions
  • Resists refactoring to protect its properties
  • Creates defensive methods to handle threats

The Functional Alternative

Functional programming uses pure functions instead:

// Pure function - same input always produces same output const processInput = (situation, context) => { // No stored state, no side effects const analysis = analyzeSituation(situation); const response = generateResponse(analysis, context); return response; }; // No defensive mechanisms needed const handleFeedback = (feedback, currentSkills) => { const relevantPoints = extractValue(feedback); const learningOpportunities = identifyGaps(relevantPoints, currentSkills); return createActionPlan(learningOpportunities); }; // Adaptable - can handle any input const processChallenge = (challenge) => { return pipe( analyzeContext, generateOptions, evaluateOutcomes, selectBestResponse )(challenge); };
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Refactoring Your Mental Architecture

Here's what changes when you think functionally about yourself:

Instead of:

// OOP Ego approach const handleMathProblem = (problem) => { if (this.beliefs.get('good_at_math') === false) { return this.avoidProblem(problem); } }
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Try:

// Functional approach const handleMathProblem = (problem, currentKnowledge) => { const requiredConcepts = analyzeProblem(problem); const gaps = findKnowledgeGaps(requiredConcepts, currentKnowledge); return gaps.length > 0 ? createLearningPlan(gaps) : solveProblem(problem); };
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The Curry-Howard Connection

This connects to the Curry-Howard correspondence - the idea that logical propositions map directly to types in programming languages. Proving a theorem is equivalent to writing a correct program.

Your ego wants to maintain consistent beliefs about yourself, even when they're wrong. But functional thinking lets you treat each moment as a fresh computation:

// Ego approach: cached beliefs const egoResponse = (situation) => { return this.cachedBeliefs.get(situation.type) || this.defaultDefense; }; // Functional approach: fresh computation const functionalResponse = (situation) => { return compose( generateResponse, analyzeContext, extractRelevantData )(situation); };
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Practical Benefits

Reduced Cognitive Overhead:

// OOP Ego carries baggage class EgoState { constructor() { this.pastFailures = [...]; this.socialExpectations = [...]; this.imageToProtect = {...}; this.defenseMechanisms = [...]; } } // Functional approach is stateless const processCurrentSituation = (situation) => { // No baggage, just current inputs return handleSituation(situation); };
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Better Adaptability:

// Fixed property this.identity.mathAbility = false; // Computed property const currentMathAbility = (topic, effort, resources) => { return calculateLearningPotential(topic, effort, resources); };
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The Fallback Function Pattern

Your sense of self is essentially a fallback function:

const handleExistentialComplexity = (overwhelmingInput) => { try { return processDirectly(overwhelmingInput); } catch (TooComplexError) { // Fallback: create simplified self-model return createEgoResponse(overwhelmingInput); } };
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The ego isn't bad - it's a necessary fallback for handling complexity. But recognizing it as just a fallback function lets you choose when to use it versus when to compute fresh responses.

Refactoring Exercise

  • Am I responding from cached beliefs or fresh analysis?
  • What would a pure function do with this input?
  • How can I process this situation without dragging in irrelevant state?

The goal isn't to eliminate the ego entirely - even functional programs need some state management. It's to recognize when you're running on defaults versus when you're computing fresh responses to the actual situation in front of you.

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