If you want a ton of fun, ask AI to write you parable on the joys/wisdom/lessons on topic x versus topic y. Example: Write a parable on the virtues of using a type safe programming language, the benefits of object oriented programming, the generosity of the garbage collector, all in the face of the tyranny of dynamic programming languages. Write it from the perspective of a master monk (a frog wearing a robe and staff), having a conversation with a gorgeous young squirrel that wishes to embark on the journey of learning software engineering.
Here is one output:
The Frog Monk and the Squirrel Student
Deep within the bamboo grove, where the wind whispered like flowing code, sat Master Frog, robed in emerald cloth, staff resting across his lap. Before him, a young squirrel, bright-eyed and eager, bowed low.
“Master,” the squirrel said, “I wish to learn the way of software engineering. But the paths are many, and I do not know which road leads to wisdom.”
The frog monk closed his eyes, and spoke in a voice like rippling water:
The Virtue of Type Safety
“Child,” said the frog, “imagine a bridge built of stone. Each stone is measured, each arch tested. This is the way of type safety. When you walk across, you know the bridge will not crumble beneath your paws.
But in the land of dynamic languages, bridges are built of twigs and promises. They may hold, or they may break when the storm comes. The traveler must always fear the hidden crack.
Thus, type safety is the discipline that guards against chaos. It is the monk’s staff, steady and unyielding.”
The Benefits of Object-Oriented Programming
The squirrel tilted her head. “And what of the world itself, Master?”
The frog smiled. “The world is vast, yet it is made of objects. The tree, the river, the stone—all are beings with their own nature. In object-oriented programming, we honor this truth. We give each thing its form, its methods, its inheritance.
Without this order, the world becomes a tangled forest of functions, each branch crossing another. But with objects, the forest is tended, paths are clear, and the traveler may walk without losing her way.”
The Generosity of the Garbage Collector
The squirrel’s tail flicked. “But Master, what of the burdens we leave behind?”
The frog tapped his staff. “Ah, that is the gift of the garbage collector. Like a kind monk sweeping the temple floor, it gathers the forgotten scraps, the abandoned memory, the dust of old variables.
It asks for no thanks, yet it keeps the temple pure. Without it, the temple would overflow with clutter, and the student would drown in her own neglect. This is generosity: unseen, yet ever present.”
The Tyranny of Dynamic Languages
The frog’s eyes grew stern. “Beware, child, of the tyranny of dynamic languages. They promise freedom: ‘Write quickly, without rules!’ But freedom without discipline is chaos.
The tyrant whispers: ‘Trust me, the errors will reveal themselves later.’ But later may be too late—when the bridge collapses, when the temple burns, when the forest is lost.
Thus, the wise engineer does not bow to the tyrant. She chooses the path of safety, of order, of generosity.”
The Lesson
The squirrel bowed again, her heart alight with understanding. “Master, I see now. To walk the path of software engineering is not merely to write code, but to live with discipline, order, and gratitude.”
The frog monk nodded. “Then go, child. Build bridges of stone, tend forests of objects, and honor the unseen sweepers of memory. In this way, your code shall endure, and your spirit shall remain free.”
And so the squirrel departed, carrying the wisdom of the frog monk into the world of software.