--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Complexity is not a goal. I don't want to…" description: "\"Complexity is not a goal. I don't want to be remembered as an engineer of complex systems.\" — David Parnas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/david-parnas-42285_complex_complexity-is-not-a-goal-i-don-t-want-to_876375.png" --- # Complexity is not a goal. I don't want to be remembered as… ![“Complexity is not a goal. I don't want to be remembered as an engineer of complex systems.” quote by David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/david-parnas-42285_complex_complexity-is-not-a-goal-i-don-t-want-to_876375.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/david-parnas-42285_complex_complexity-is-not-a-goal-i-don-t-want-to_876375.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f18/david-parnas-42285_complex_complexity-is-not-a-goal-i-don-t-want-to_876375.png) > “Complexity is not a goal. I don't want to be remembered as an engineer of complex systems.” [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Simplicity should be a means, not an end; engineering aims for clarity, not needless complexity. **In simple terms:** Simplicity serves purpose, not vanity. Key Takeaway Prioritize clarity over complexity. Themes engineering design simplicity purpose Mood reflective analytical Type technical philosophical When to use this quote - product development - technical debt - maintenance - team communication Key Concepts systems theory software architecture human factors Questions to Reflect On - When is complexity justified? - How can you simplify without losing functionality? A Different Perspective Complex systems may be unavoidable for certain problems. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Complex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex/) [Complex systems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex-systems/) [Complexes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexes/) [Complexity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity/) [Complexity Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complexity-goal-1006300/) [Engineer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineer/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Goals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goals/) [Remembered](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/remembered/) [Simplicity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simplicity/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [We have a complex system of government. You have to teach it to every generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/we-have-a-complex-system-of-government-you-have-to-teach-it-to-every/) [Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/) > [I use doodling for a variety of reasons: I use it to get clarity around a concept, I use it to relax, I use…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunni-brown/i-use-doodling-for-a-variety-of-reasons-i-use-it-to-get-clarity/) [Sunni Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunni-brown/) > [In complex systems, one can think about linear interactions and complex or nonlinear interactions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeynep-tufekci/in-complex-systems-one-can-think-about-linear-interactions-and/) [Zeynep Tufekci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeynep-tufekci/) > [Business requires understanding financial matters, but management is different from running the financial aspects of the business - it requires understanding complex systems, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosabeth-moss-kanter/business-requires-understanding-financial-matters-but-management-is/) [Rosabeth Moss Kanter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosabeth-moss-kanter/) > [Complex systems are hard to understand, predict and control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/complex-systems-are-hard-to-understand-predict-and-control/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [The human body is the most complex system ever created. The more we learn about it, the more appreciation we have about what a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/the-human-body-is-the-most-complex-system-ever-created-the-more-we/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [You show me a successful complex system, and I will show you a system that has evolved through trial and error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-harford/you-show-me-a-successful-complex-system-and-i-will-show-you-a-system/) [Tim Harford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-harford/) > [“Molecular machines display a key signature or hallmark of design, namely, irreducible complexity. In all irreducibly complex systems in which the cause of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-a-minnich/molecular-machines-display-a-key-signature-or-hallmark-of-design/) [Scott A. Minnich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-a-minnich/) > [“Analysing complexity Analysis of complex systems almost always turns on finding recurring patterns in the system’s ever-changing configurations. The game of chess provides a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-h-holland/analysing-complexity-analysis-of-complex-systems-almost-always-turns/) [John H. Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-h-holland/) > [Implicit in the activist conception of government is the assumption that you can take the good things in a complex system for granted, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/implicit-in-the-activist-conception-of-government-is-the-assumption/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [ A lawyer’s either a social engineer or … a parasite on society … A social engineer \[is\] a highly skilled, perceptive, sensitive lawyer who… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-hamilton-houston/a-lawyer-s-either-a-social-engineer-or-a-parasite-on-society-a-social/) [Charles Hamilton Houston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-hamilton-houston/) > [I never knew what an engineer did for a living when I was a kid. I still don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-never-knew-what-an-engineer-did-for-a-living-when-i-was-a-kid-i/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I was a kind of a one-man army. I could solder circuits together, I could turn out things on the lathe, I could work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-van-allen/i-was-a-kind-of-a-one-man-army-i-could-solder-circuits-together-i/) [James Van Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-van-allen/) > [I'm an engineer by trade, and what engineers do is they go and build, and they don't think a lot about storytelling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/travis-kalanick/i-m-an-engineer-by-trade-and-what-engineers-do-is-they-go-and-build/) [Travis Kalanick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/travis-kalanick/) > [It is a great profession. There is the fascination of watching a figment of the imagination emerge through the aid of science to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/it-is-a-great-profession-there-is-the-fascination-of-watching-a/) [Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/) ## More by David Parnas > [Requirements in mathematical language are no use unless they are easier to read than the code.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/requirements-in-mathematical-language-are-no-use-unless-they-are/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [I have found that the reason a lot of people are interested in artificial intelligence is the same reason a lot of people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/i-have-found-that-the-reason-a-lot-of-people-are-interested-in/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [Artificial intelligence has the same relation to intelligence as artificial flowers have to flowers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/artificial-intelligence-has-the-same-relation-to-intelligence-as/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [Copy and paste is a design error.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/copy-and-paste-is-a-design-error/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [One bad programmer can easily create two new jobs a year.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/one-bad-programmer-can-easily-create-two-new-jobs-a-year/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [Many spend their time berating practitioners for not applying their method. We all need to disseminate our ideas, but most of our time should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/many-spend-their-time-berating-practitioners-for-not-applying-their/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [With software products, it is usual to find that the software has major 'bugs' and does not work reliably for some users... The lay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/with-software-products-it-is-usual-to-find-that-the-software-has/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [We must not forget that the wheel is reinvented so often because it is a very good idea; I've learned to worry more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/we-must-not-forget-that-the-wheel-is-reinvented-so-often-because-it/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) > [Find the simplest model that is not a lie is the key to better software design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-parnas/find-the-simplest-model-that-is-not-a-lie-is-the-key-to-better/) [David Parnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) [Explore all 10 David Parnas quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-parnas/) ## More Complex quotes > [Ownership is a very complex judicial concept.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kapil-sibal/ownership-is-a-very-complex-judicial-concept/) [Kapil Sibal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kapil-sibal/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [I have faith in an audience being able to interpret complex material.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-heineman/i-have-faith-in-an-audience-being-able-to-interpret-complex-material/) [Matthew Heineman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-heineman/) > [We're all complex human beings, and if some of that complexity shows through, I think it's advantageous for the movie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-de-bont/we-re-all-complex-human-beings-and-if-some-of-that-complexity-shows/) [Jan de Bont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-de-bont/) > [Mike Tyson is the most complex person I've ever met in my life. I've known Mike since 1986. We're both from Brooklyn. I didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/spike-lee/mike-tyson-is-the-most-complex-person-i-ve-ever-met-in-my-life-i-ve/) [Spike Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/spike-lee/) > [Life is complex. It has real and imaginary components.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-potter/life-is-complex-it-has-real-and-imaginary-components/) [Tom Potter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-potter/) > [As they grow, companies saturate their markets, become more complex and difficult to manage, and face larger and more entrenched competitors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-berenson/as-they-grow-companies-saturate-their-markets-become-more-complex-and/) [Alex Berenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-berenson/) > [“The act of consciousness is central; otherwise we are overrun by the complexes. The hero in each of us is required to answer the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-hollis/the-act-of-consciousness-is-central-otherwise-we-are-overrun-by-the/) [James Hollis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-hollis/) > [Post-minimalism implies music that's genre-less. Minimalism was very important because it came at a time when contemporary music had become so complex, so experimental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-beiser/post-minimalism-implies-music-that-s-genre-less-minimalism-was-very/) [Maya Beiser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-beiser/) > [“The relationship of a girl and her favorite novel can be complex indeed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-cremer/the-relationship-of-a-girl-and-her-favorite-novel-can-be-complex/) [Andrea Cremer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-cremer/) > [I understand that finance can be very complex.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-harrington/i-understand-that-finance-can-be-very-complex/) [Kevin Harrington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-harrington/) > [“War is always more complex. Economics, history, religion all have a role, but not for the ones dodging the bullets. They just get blown…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/war-is-always-more-complex-economics-history-religion-all-have-a-role/) [Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/) > [Through all those complex years I thought I was alone. I didn't care to look around and make this world my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pantera/through-all-those-complex-years-i-thought-i-was-alone-i-didn-t-care/) [Pantera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pantera/) > [The Icesave matter is complex and it is understandable that the issue has been oversimplified by many. Unfortunately some of the basic facts of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johanna-siguroardottir/the-icesave-matter-is-complex-and-it-is-understandable-that-the-issue/) [Johanna Siguroardottir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johanna-siguroardottir/) > [Evil is relative - and what I mean by that is that our villains are as complex, as deep and as compelling as any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoff-johns/evil-is-relative-and-what-i-mean-by-that-is-that-our-villains-are-as/) [Geoff Johns](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoff-johns/) [Browse all 680 Complex quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/complex/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Complexity is not a goal. 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