Progress is possible only if we train ourselves to think about programs without thinking of them as pieces of executable code.
Edsger DijkstraRead
Write a paper promising salvation, make it a "structured" something or a "virtual" something, or "abstract," "distributed" or "higher-order" or "applicative" and you can almost be certain of having started a new cult.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote critiques how vague or complex terminology can mislead individuals into following flawed ideas or movements.
Edsger Dijkstra's quote reflects a cautionary observation on the nature of language and its potential to create cult-like followings around obscure concepts. By using jargon or abstract terminology, people may be seduced into believing in ideas that lack substance, drawing a parallel between the manipulation of language and the formation of cults. It suggests that the allure of complexity can often blind people to critical thinking.
Themes
CultLanguageManipulationComplexityBelief
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion on critical thinking, one could cite this quote to illustrate the dangers of jargon in misguiding beliefs.
More from Edsger Dijkstra
All quotes →Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.
Edsger DijkstraRead
The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.
Edsger DijkstraRead
We shall do a much better programming job, provided that we approach the task with a full appreciation of its tremendous difficulty, provided that we stick to modest and elegant programming languages, provided that we respect the intrinsic limitations of the human mind and approach the task as Very Humble Programmers.
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The tools we use have a profound and devious influence on our thinking habits, and therefore on our thinking abilities.
Edsger DijkstraRead
LISP has jokingly been described as "the most intelligent way to misuse a computer." I think that description is a great compliment because it transmits the full flavour of liberation: it has assisted a number of our most gifted fellow humans in thinking previously impossible thoughts.
Edsger DijkstraRead
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