Quora runs the question. There are some really inspiring and insightful replies. Have a look. Here are some bits to get you started. Robert Love said:
Software is the most malleable of media. With just bits—which are nothing, really—a software engineer can build castles out of thin air. Entire businesses, industries even, are created with nothing physical at all. Software’s substrate is the stuff of pure thought.
Other engineering disciplines are constrained by the surly bonds of the physical world. To design a new plane, the aerospace engineer may spend years designing a model. A model! A software engineer can go from idea to reality in a day. As an intellectual pursuit, software is enormously rewarding.
Martin Sarsale:
It’s like playing with Lego but the blocks are product of your mind.
Noam Lerner:
Creation. It’s my way to express my creativity. Some people create music, movies, paintings or pottery. I create software.
Briggitte Jellinek:
It’s exaclty like magic: with my spells (that are completely incomprehensible to muggles) I can make stuff happen!
And there’s more, of course.