Progress is possible only if we train ourselves to think about programs without thinking of them as pieces of executable code.
Edsger DijkstraRead
The students that, like the wild animal being prepared for its tricks in the circus called 'life', expects only training as sketched above, will be severely disappointed: by his standards he will learn next to nothing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Learning requires more than basic training; it demands deep understanding and engagement with the material.
In this quote, Edsger Dijkstra emphasizes that students who approach education passively, expecting only basic training and structure, will find themselves lacking in real knowledge and skills. True learning occurs when students actively engage with their education and seek to understand the underlying principles rather than merely following instructions.
Themes
EducationLearningEngagementUnderstandingPassiveActive
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on educational philosophy, one might use this quote to illustrate the importance of active learning.
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.
Edsger DijkstraRead
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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