Ask HN: Is it more fun ( and wise ) to implement or to read about coding theory?

I love to read about design patterns, syntax and semantics language specifications ( e.g. the C++ standard ), Unit tests and this kind of stuff. Actually even more than to actually implement it because I am not confident with my skill level and the final outcome. I do not want to stop reading about coding theory until I reach an expert level, writing good and clean code. For me it feels right and I love it. What do other programmers say about this approach? Thanks