Progress is possible only if we train ourselves to think about programs without thinking of them as pieces of executable code.
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
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.
The purpose of abstraction is not to be vague, but to create a new semantic level in which one can be absolutely precise.
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.
The tools we use have a profound and devious influence on our thinking habits, and therefore on our thinking abilities.
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.
Similar quotes
Man can sin against nature in two ways. First, when he sins against his specific rational nature, acting contrary to reason. In this sense, we can say that every sin is a sin against man's nature, because it is against man's right reason.
Why did one straw break the camel's back?_x000D_ _x000D_ Here's the secret:_x000D_ _x000D_ The million other straws underneath it.
We judge people in areas where we're vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we're doing.
In journalism, we recognize a kind of hierarchy of fame among the famous. We measure it in two ways: by the length of an obituary and by how far in advance it is prepared. Presidents, former presidents, and certain heads of state are at the top of the chain.
Children all over the world consort quite naturally with animals. They don't see any dividing line. That is something they have to be taught, just as they have to be taught it is all right to kill and eat them.
She had the feeling that the door was looking at her, which she knew was silly, and knew on a deeper level was somehow true.