I like this article, probably because I do as outlined in it - but I also wonder how this (or the first advice particulary) is applied to pair programming? Seing someone else solve an interesting problem over his/her shoulder while discussing it endlessly will never quite stick as when you think about a problem for days and then come up with a solution for yourself.
Pair programming should not involve watching somebody else solve a problem. A good pair programmer knows how to involve even junior colleagues in the hunt for a solution.
I agree that things stick better when they're harder. On the other hand, when pairing I learn ways of solving problems that would never occur to me. And it's not like when pairing nothing's hard; I think I have just as many in-the-shower ahas when on a team that pairs.
