The Ancient Masters

Thus Spake the Master Programmer: "After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless".

The programmers of old were mysterious and profound. We cannot fathom their thoughts, so all we do is describe their appearance. Aware, like a fox crossing the water. Alert, like a general on the battlefield. Kind, like a hostess greeting her guests. Simple, like uncarved blocks of wood. Opaque, like black pools in darkened caves. Who can tell the secrets of their hearts and minds? The answer exists only in Tao.

Grand Master Turing once dreamed that he was a machine. When he awoke he exclaimed: "I don't know whether I am Turing dreaming that I am a machine, or a machine dreaming that I am Turing!"

- From the book "The Tao of Programming" translated by Geoffery James, one of my personal favorites. Must read for any programmer. You can get the complete text from here.