Comment I've Tried. (Score 1) 608
"Normal" people will just stare at you blankly when trying to explain things like if/else, (do)while, for(each), switch etc.. This isn't a career you can just walk into obliviously .. There was a lady in my intro to C++ class that sat with us for a week before finally asking "Is this BCIS?" .. How is that for normal?
I really don't know of many people that are going along through their lives as say, a welder, or a truck driver that go "You know? It's time to start programming."
So normal? Probably not, depends on what your definition of normal is. Is normal the median behavior of all humans? Is normal someone without mental "disability?" Is normal someone who has a certain set of moral views.. The question is broad. Bottom line is -- like many others have said -- people should follow their passion, programming, like any other specialty (niche) skill is not something you just pick up, it is something you have a desire to learn. The entire personality required to be good at it dictates the pursuit of the individuals knowledge and a desire to always know more.