Afterthought Quote by Bertrand Meyer
“Careful as they may be, developers of Eiffel libraries will always run into cases in which, after releasing a library class, they suddenly experience what in French is called esprit de l'escalier or wit of the staircase: a great thought which unfortunately is an afterthought, like a clever reply that would have stunned all the other dinner guests - if only you had thought of it before walking down the stairs after the party is over.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Object-Oriented Software Construction, 1997
After releasing code, developers often think of better solutions too late, akin to a delayed witty remark.
In simple terms: Late insights are common in software.
Key Takeaway
Plan for post‑release reflection.
Themes
software development
creativity
reflection
Mood
humorous
reflective
Type
technical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- code reviews
- bug fixes
- feature upgrades
Key Concepts
spontaneous insight
post‑mortem analysis
design iteration
Questions to Reflect On
- How can teams capture ideas earlier?
- What processes reduce post‑release regrets?
A Different Perspective
Reliance on hindsight can delay improvements.
![“In order to satisfy this great oneiric function, which makes it not a kind of total monument, the [Eiffel] Tower must escape reason. The first condition of this victorious flight is that the Tower be an utterly useless monument.” quote by Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/118/roland-barthes-1062_eiffel-tower_in-order-to-satisfy-this-great-oneiric-f_1078821.jpg)
![“Being the most striking manifestation of the art of metal structures by which our engineers have shown in Europe, it [the Eiffel Tower] is one of the most striking of our modern national genius.” quote by Gustave Eiffel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/084/gustave-eiffel-40993_architecture_being-the-most-striking-manifestation-of_643147.jpg)
![“Like man himself, who is the only one not to know his own glance, the [Eiffel] Tower is the only blind point f the total optical system of which it is the center and Paris the circumference.” quote by Roland Barthes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a97/roland-barthes-1062_eiffel-tower_like-man-himself-who-is-the-only-one-not_2389435.jpg)
