WHAT IS LEFT WHEN THE STORY IS REMOVED? Sample chapter 2 from this algorithmic biography, which documents the life of civil engineer Ove Trygve Schoyen (born 1936) through direct conversations spanning several years, supported by records, independent psychological assessments, press interviews, and historical sources. The material has been recorded as received. No interpretation has been added. Full context, origin, and accompanying materials, including the full book at: https://www.yoursaga.com Created as a 90th birthday gift from son to father.
THE ALGORITHM The Saga of Ove T. Schoyen
© 2026 by Christian Schoyen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means: electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or in any fashion whatsoever, without the prior written permission of the Publisher.
Published by Your Saga Publishing www.YourSaga.com
ISBN: 979-8-9985021-3-2
First Edition, January 10th, 2026
Printed in the United States of America
This book records one man’s life and the algorithm that emerges from it. It does not constitute psychological, professional, financial, or medical advice. The author and publisher assume no liability for any outcomes. All decisions and actions are the sole responsibility of the reader.
This book contains no lessons. Only what was said.
“In times of change, learners inherit the earth; while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” — Eric Hoffer
vii
THE ALGORITHM
PREFACE
This algorithmic biography book records the Saga of Civil Engineer Ove Trygve Schoyen , born in Ullensaker, Norway, January 10th, 1936. A gift for his 90th birthday. It is based on direct conversations conducted over several years, supported by documents, records, external psychological assessments from different time periods, press interviews and historical sources. The material has been recorded as it was given. No interpretation has been added. The events in this book are presented in sequence. They are not arranged to create a story, explain motives, or provide a conclusion. They are presented as they occurred, across more than ninety years. Over time, repeated behavior becomes visible. Patterns emerge. Some choices recur. Others disappear. In these pages, these patterns are referred to as The Algorithm .
There are no lessons. Only what is repeated.
A life can be viewed as a sequence of decisions made under constraint. When observed across a full span of time, intention becomes less important than what is repeated.
Christian Schoyen The Son of Ove T. Schoyen Oslo, Norway, January 10th, 2026
Note: Norwegian spellings adapted for English readers. Original family name: Schøyen. Algorithm extraction methodology and validation: www.yoursaga.com/schoyen
ix
THE ALGORITHM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1:
YOU ARE GOING TO DIE
1
CHAPTER 2:
THERE WAS A MAN NAMED STEINAR
7
CHAPTER 3:
THE GLASS ROOM
11
CHAPTER 4:
MISSA JACOBSEN
15
CHAPTER 5:
THE BLUE BICYCLE AND THE NAZIS
21
CHAPTER 6:
TURNING 50
29
CHAPTER 7:
THE LETTER NOT SENT
33
CHAPTER 8:
TOMMY: NEW YORK
39
CHAPTER 9:
SHAME
43
CHAPTER 10:
DEPRESSION
47
CHAPTER 11:
BUILDER: HOUSE, BRIDGES & MISSILE SILOS
55
CHAPTER 12:
NEW YORK, JAZZ AND THE FAT LADY
61
CHAPTER 13:
THE YELLOW CONVERTIBLE
69
CHAPTER 14:
PROJECT “COLD BEER”
73
CHAPTER 15:
6000 LAY-OFFS WITHOUT STRIKES
79
CHAPTER 16:
NEVER BECOME A FARMER
85
CHAPTER 17:
LAST MAN STANDING
89
CHAPTER 18:
I LOVE YOU
95
CHAPTER 19:
BUSINESS NEEDS TO GO ON
101
CHAPTER 20:
THE MAN IN THE MIRROR
105
CHAPTER 21:
EVERYTHING IS MATHEMATICS
111
xi
THE ALGORITHM
CHAPTER 2:
THERE WAS A MAN NAMED STEINAR
Christian Have you encountered something particularly interesting about people during your lifetime? Ove Yes. A key question I have considered several times is whether people truly change, including myself. People can improve, but I have at times thought about whether, after a formative childhood, people’s behavior is locked in. Not in skills, but values, worldview.
Christian Is there one event related to this that stayed with you? Ove
In the nineties, approaching 60, approximately 1995, I was invited to a wedding dinner in Oslo, where I lived. At the dinner table, we were
7
THE ALGORITHM
placed with name tags. The person next to me was a slightly older man. We started talking, asking each other where we came from and how amazing the wedding was. The conversation transferred to the man, who said he was from Stavanger, was about to retire, and had been reflecting on one particular thing. He said he was a lawyer, had been a District Judge in Stavanger, and had questioned whether he had been too hard on people when sentencing. Then he brought up one person with a full name as he said: “There is this one person named Steinar Hansen, who has been in and out of my courts throughout my career. To ensure Steinar also learned that destructive behavior is unacceptable, and hoping he would learn, I gave him the maximum sentence each time.” He then continued: “I have at times questioned myself if I had not been so harsh, maybe his life would have turned out differently”. This troubled the judge’s mind, as he might be the reason lives like Steinar Hansen were destroyed. I was stunned, but let him finish before I asked about Steinar’s age, and if he knew whether he came from my region, where I was born. The judge said, “Yes, as a matter of fact, Steinar did.” I also got confirmed that he was two years older than me. I then knew for sure the Steinar he spoke about. Christian When did you know Steinar, and what was your relationship to him? Ove I told the judge that I came from a family farm at Klofta called Skjelmerud where I grew up and that we had people working there who also lived at the farm. One of these was a welder and cattle hand who had a son. The son was Steinar Hansen. Steinar’s father worked there for three years, from when I was 8 to 11. Steinar also attended the same school as me, but at a higher level because of his age. I then went on to tell him Steinar was one of the people who also had occupied space in my mind. During the time at the farm, Steinar was
8
THE ALGORITHM
polite but had two sides. One person saw, and the other was devious. With his creativity, he always tried to come up with problems, with the goal of having me blamed. The peak event was putting the hay on fire to burn down our farm, but it was stopped in time. He then told the adults he had seen me by the hay with the fire. I was inside the house with my mother, who was as puzzled as I was. We could never fully understand where his behavior originated, why I was the target, or why he never seemed to learn, even when he was caught red- handed each time. The final straw was the attempt to burn the farm down. I was then around 11, and Steinar was 13, which meant it was no longer a children’s prank. We did not think it was so much about the fire and the consequences it would have caused if not stopped, but more about singling me out as the one who did it. The judge was in shock. Steinar had impacted me 50 years ago, and for the District Judge, Steinar had impacted him also for decades. Christian Have you heard about Steinar since leaving the farm at age 13? Ove I only heard about him once, through the grapevine, some years later. When it was time to do the required army duty in Norway, the army had a very hard time finding Steinar a suitable place. After various attempts, he was assigned to the group that packed parachutes. I then recall saying to myself, I was very happy he did not pack mine. I tried at the time to believe he had changed and that the people jumping from airplanes were safe. After this, I never heard about Steinar before the dinner in 1995, 40 years later.
Christian Did the talk with the judge affect you? Ove
Yes. Despite always wanting to believe the best about people, and always trying not be judgmental, it was confirmation of what I had
9
THE ALGORITHM
lived by and influenced my decision-making. Someone’s life patterns are often repeatable and shaped in childhood, then become fixed. It is hard to change. I have tried many times myself, and it is hard. Stopping smoking took me 40 years. When I meet people later in life, they usually say, “You have not changed,” regardless of whether it has been 10 or 50 years since I last saw them. The same goes the other way. Is it good or bad? I don’t know. It is just what it is. For the judge, I recall he had looked at me and said, “This took a big burden off my shoulders, what you told me.” Based on his experiences, his thinking was similar. Change is difficult. He said that with free will and choices, the burden of the wrongs committed by others is not for us to carry. Christian Are there other interesting things about people you have noticed? Ove Yes. I have also found it interesting how people get stuck on past events, can’t move on, let go, forgive, ask for forgiveness or holding on to grudges or regrets through large parts of their lives or even entire lifetimes. Christian What about yourself? Have you been stuck on negative events from the past? Ove No. I have always been very busy, in the moment, and forward-thinking. I don’t think I have ever had mental space for it. Everything happens, good or bad, to everyone. I always quickly moved on and let the past be the past.
10
THE ALGORITHM
Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online