Quote

Dealing with failure is easy: Work hard to improve. Success is also easy to handle: You've solved the wrong problem. Work hard to improve.

Alan Perlis

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Alan Perlis
Age: 67 †
Born: 1922
Born: April 1
Died: 1990
Died: February 7
Computer Scientist
Mathematician
University Teacher
Pittsburg
Pennsylvania
Alan Jay Perlis
Alan J. Perlis
Easy
Dealing
Also
Improve
Problem
Investing
Hard
Math
Work
Handle
Failure
Wrong
Success
Solved

More quotes by Alan Perlis

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In programming, as in everything else, to be in error is to be reborn.
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A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming is not worth knowing.
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Because of its vitality, the computing field is always in desperate need of new cliches: Banality soothes our nerves.
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One man's constant is another man's variable.
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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 year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God.
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FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed - it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer.
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It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical?
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One can only display complex information in the mind. Like seeing, movement or flow or alteration of view is more important than the static picture, no matter how lovely.
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Optimization hinders evolution. Everything should be built top-down, except the first time. Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.
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If you have a procedure with 10 parameters, you probably missed some.
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In computing, the mean time to failure keeps getting shorter.
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When a professor insists computer science is X but not Y, have compassion for his graduate students.
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In the long run, every program becomes rococo, and then rubble.
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A good programming language is a conceptual universe for thinking about programming.
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There are two ways to write error-free programs only the third one works.
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Every reader should ask himself periodically “Toward what end, toward what end?”—but do not ask it too often lest you pass up the fun of programming for the constipation of bittersweet philosophy.
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Fools ignore complexity. Pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses remove it.
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It is easier to change the specification to fit the program than vice versa.
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Computer Science is embarrassed by the computer.
Alan Perlis