Education Quotes by Edsger Dijkstra

Production speed is severely slowed down if one works with half-time people who have other obligations as well. This is at least a factor…

— Edsger Dijkstra

The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making.

— Edsger Dijkstra

Probably I am very naive, but I also think I prefer to remain so, at least for the time being and perhaps for the…

— Edsger Dijkstra

In the good old days physicists repeated each other's experiments, just to be sure. Today they stick to FORTRAN, so that they can share…

— Edsger Dijkstra

Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the weapons.

— Edsger Dijkstra

Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.

— Edsger Dijkstra

The use of anthropomorphic terminology forces you linguistically to adopt an operational view. And it makes it practically impossible to argue about programs independently…

— Edsger Dijkstra

Teaching to unsuspecting youngsters the effective use of formal methods is one of the joys of life because it is so extremely rewarding.

— Edsger Dijkstra

Please don't fall into the trap of believing that I am terribly dogmatical about [the goto statement]. I have the uncomfortable feeling that others…

— Edsger Dijkstra

Brainpower is by far our scarcest resource.

— Edsger Dijkstra

Programming in Basic causes brain damage.

— Edsger Dijkstra

Several people have told me that my inability to suffer fools gladly is one of my main weaknesses.

— Edsger Dijkstra

I now have had my foggy crystal ball for quite a long time. Its predictions are invariably gloomy and usually correct, but I am…

— Edsger Dijkstra

In this respect a program is like a poem: you cannot write a poem without writing it. Yet people talk about programming as if…

— Edsger Dijkstra

About the use of language: it is impossible to sharpen a pencil with a blunt axe. It is equally vain to try to do…

— Edsger Dijkstra