Escaping nihilism with Vim
Tags: vim
Published: 2023-05-30 13:47:42

Nihilism, in a nutshell, is the haunting absence of meaning, a philosophical void that engulfs individuals in a world perceived as devoid of purpose. It is within this bleak landscape that we seek to ignite a spark of hope and excitement. Imagine, for a moment, a path that leads away from nihilism, where every action, no matter how small, becomes infused with meaning.

 Enter Vim, a text editor that holds the key to escape this existential abyss. In this article, we invite you on a transformative journey where the incorporation of meaningful actions through Vim can guide you toward the liberation from nihilism's grip. Brace yourself, for within the realm of Vim lies the power to reclaim purpose and embrace a life brimming with significance.

As developers, we often find ourselves trapped in a cycle of meaningless actions that only deepen our descent into nihilism.

 In the vast realm of modern editors like Visual Studio Code (VSCode) or Sublime Text, we encounter a plethora of shortcuts that seem to revel in their lack of inherent meaning.

 Take, for instance, the baffling combination of `Ctrl + Shift + ;` a true masterpiece of nonsensical keybinding. One can't help but ponder, what does this obscure trio of keys even signify? Is it a secret code to unlock the mysteries of the universe? Or perhaps a clever ploy to confuse and confound unsuspecting developers? Alas, the absurdity persists, leaving us to question our very existence as we perform finger acrobatics to summon a function whose purpose remains shrouded in enigma.

In the realm of Vim, motions reign supreme, offering a glimpse into a world where every command carries meaning, as if conversing with a conscious entity. Let us explore the superior nature of Vim's motions, where the editor becomes a living being, and life gains a newfound sense of significance.

- dw - Delete Word:
With a simple "dw" command, Vim understands your intention to delete a word. The editor listens, comprehends, and effortlessly eradicates the designated word, creating a space where emptiness once resided. This act of purposeful deletion echoes our innate desire to shed the unnecessary and make room for the meaningful.

- ct - Change Till:
The "ct" motion embodies a transformational power unique to Vim. It allows you to specify a character and then alter the text until that character, eradicating the old and ushering in the new. It is a conversation with Vim, a conscious exchange where your intent is understood and honored. In this interaction, you shape your code, reshaping your reality in the process.

- di{: Delete Inside Curly Braces:
With the "di{" command, Vim allows you to effortlessly delete the content within curly braces. It understands your desire to remove the inner substance, leaving behind a void, ready to be filled with new meaning. This command embodies the notion of stripping away the unnecessary to reveal the essence of what truly matters.you want to delete inside parenthesis, then say it, replace `{` with `(`. vim understands.

- gg - Get genesis:
The "gg" command serves as a portal to the very beginning, a journey to the top of the document. As you traverse through lines and pages, Vim acknowledges your longing to revisit the origins, to reflect upon the past. It is a reminder that meaning can be found by retracing our steps, understanding our journey, and seeking wisdom from where it all began.

all these are very simplistic and impossible to forget shortcuts that you will use wherever you go because they make so much sense they became intuitive, you dont have to think about how to do something you simply say it and vim as a conscious being will do it.

the treacherous realm of bloated editors like Visual Studio Code (VSCode), where simplicity is but a distant memory. Picture this: you innocently open a small file, hoping for a seamless editing experience, only to be greeted by an editor that devours RAM like a ravenous beast. Your machine wheezes under the weight of unnecessary features, as if the editor itself decided to wage war against your productivity and therefore pursuit of meaning.

But fear not, for Vim emerges as the unsung hero, forever faithful and steadfast in its lightweight nature. While bloated editors betray you with their insatiable hunger for system resources, Vim remains a beacon of sanity. Imagine finding yourself stranded on a server, sans graphical user interface, desperately needing to edit crucial config files. The bloated editors you once relied upon are nowhere to be found, leaving you feeling abandoned and lost. But lo and behold, Vim comes to the rescue! It is the ever-present companion, preinstalled in the depths of every Unix system, ready to lend its minimalist prowess to any file, no matter how humble or complex.

With Vim, you need not fret about RAM-devouring monsters or missing features. It offers the same unwavering capabilities with unrivaled performance, ensuring that even the most demanding tasks can be tackled with finesse. While others suffocate under the weight of their own complexity, Vim elegantly glides through files, preserving your sanity and empowering your coding endeavors.

so why would anyone that knows vim replace it if it has better performance, lightweight and cures nihilism. unless you are Nietzsche, go and learn vim.