Every program has (at least) two purposes: the one for which it was written and another for which it wasn't.
Alan PerlisRead
Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights different attitudes towards complexity in problem-solving.
Alan Perlis suggests that people react to complexity in various ways: fools tend to overlook it, pragmatists endure it, some individuals manage to sidestep it, while geniuses have the ability to simplify and eliminate it. This reflects a deeper understanding of intelligence and problem-solving, indicating that true brilliance lies in the ability to make the complicated seem simple.
Themes
ComplexityProblem-SolvingIntelligenceSimplicityWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a seminar about effective problem-solving strategies.
More from Alan Perlis
All quotes βBecause of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches: Banality soothes our nerves.
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In computing, turning the obvious into the useful is a living definition of the word "frustration".
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It is better to have 100 functions operate on one data structure than to have 10 functions operate on 10 data structures.
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A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming.
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Every reader should ask himself periodically βToward what end, toward what end?ββbut do not ask it too often lest you pass up the fun of programming for the constipation of bittersweet philosophy.
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