Why do you like being in Testing?

This is a question I am asked fairly often by people who both know me and new acquaintances.  Sometimes the question is couched in the “so, you can’t program so you test?”.  As an ex-developer, I can scotch that one!  My answers are various, along these lines:

• I enjoy seeing the bigger picture that testing gives you.
• I like the challenge that testing gives you
• I like the variety that you get in testing
• I like finding problems
• I have a questioning mind
• I get a kick out of seeing better quality products than there would have been had I not tested it
• There is so much to learn in the field of testing
• Etc, etc.

If I analyse these answers, they are quite bland, they don’t really get to the heart of the reasons and they don’t really say what I feel.  Anyone who has done any consulting or psychology will tell you that there is a technique that you can use with people to “bottom out” an answer, that is, you find out the fundamental reason for why someone does something.  

I decided I needed to bottom out why I like testing, just for my own benefit.  After some careful thought and analysis I came up with “I like being in Testing because I like being around testers”.  In other words, it is a people thing, I get a good feeling by being around people who have a testing mindset who are thought provoking who are questioning and who make me laugh (as most testers do!).  My natural instincts are to be with these type of people and always has been, well before I got into testing.  I, like a lot of testers, fell into testing by accident and felt at home once I was there because of the people.

I have yet to answer the question honestly in public and say “Because I like testers”, because the questioner probably wouldn’t understand the answer.