--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: So-called \"natural language\" is wonderful…" description: "\"So-called \"natural language\" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to tell jokes in, to cheat or to make love in (an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png" --- # So-called "natural language" is wonderful for the purposes… ![“So-called "natural language" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to tell jokes in, to cheat or to make love in (and Theorists of Literary Criticism can even be content-free in it), but it is hopelessly inadequate when we have to deal unambiguously with…” quote by Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png) > “So-called "natural language" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to tell jokes in, to cheat or to make love in (and Theorists of Literary Criticism can even be content-free in it), but it is hopelessly inadequate when we have to deal unambiguously with situations of great intricacy, situations which unavoidably arise in such activities as legislation, arbitration, mathematics or programming.” [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Natural language is great for informal use but fails to handle complex, precise tasks like law, math, or code. **In simple terms:** Casual speech works, but precise work needs formal language. Key Takeaway Use formal systems for complex, unambiguous tasks. Themes precision language complexity formal systems communication Mood analytical critical thoughtful Type advisory philosophical technical When to use this quote - legal drafting - software development - mathematical proof - arbitration - policy writing Key Concepts logic semantics syntax ambiguity Questions to Reflect On - How can we bridge informal and formal communication? - When is informal language acceptable in technical fields? A Different Perspective Formal languages can be rigid and inaccessible to non-experts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/criticism/) [Jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jokes/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Literary criticism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literary-criticism/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Mathematics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mathematics/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Rude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rude/) [Theorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theorists/) [Wonderful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonderful/) ## Related quotes > [“World is not complex, Intricacy is not in the situations. Intricacy is in our minds.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajasaraswathii/world-is-not-complex-intricacy-is-not-in-the-situations-intricacy-is/) [Rajasaraswathii](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajasaraswathii/) > [“natural language will always remain the basic interpretation of, and reservoir for, the development of the artificial formalized languages of science.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-bradbury/natural-language-will-always-remain-the-basic-interpretation-of-and/) Doris Bradbury > [My mission at Google is to develop natural language understanding with a team and in collaboration with other researchers at Google.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/my-mission-at-google-is-to-develop-natural-language-understanding/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I am somewhat uncertain whether there is a definite factual question as to whether natural language handles truth-value gaps. Nor am I even quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/saul-kripke/i-am-somewhat-uncertain-whether-there-is-a-definite-factual-question/) [Saul Kripke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/saul-kripke/) > [People have been trying to do kind of natural language processing with computers for decades and there has only been sort of slow progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-wolfram/people-have-been-trying-to-do-kind-of-natural-language-processing/) [Stephen Wolfram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-wolfram/) > [Understanding of natural language is what sometimes is called 'AI complete,' meaning if you can really do that, you can probably solve artificial intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oren-etzioni/understanding-of-natural-language-is-what-sometimes-is-called-ai/) [Oren Etzioni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oren-etzioni/) > [The problem with natural language processing and the thing that really holds the technology back, is that when it crashes and burns, it's horrific.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-zeschuk/the-problem-with-natural-language-processing-and-the-thing-that/) [Greg Zeschuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-zeschuk/) > [Things like chatbots, machine learning tools, natural language processing, or sentiment analysis are applications of artificial intelligence that may one day profoundly change how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gillian-tans/things-like-chatbots-machine-learning-tools-natural-language/) [Gillian Tans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gillian-tans/) > [“The difficulty in making sense of even simple speech is well appreciated by computer scientists who struggle to create machines that can respond to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-mlodinow/the-difficulty-in-making-sense-of-even-simple-speech-is-well/) [Leonard Mlodinow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-mlodinow/) > [I'm working on artificial intelligence. Actually, natural language understanding, which is to get computers to understand the meaning of documents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/i-m-working-on-artificial-intelligence-actually-natural-language/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [Perl was designed to work more like a natural language. It's a little more complicated but there are more shortcuts, and once you learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-was-designed-to-work-more-like-a-natural-language-it-s-a-little/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [“An analogy to natural language illustrates the point. The letters A,C, and T convey very little meaning by themselves, but can be combined in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siddhartha-mukherjee/an-analogy-to-natural-language-illustrates-the-point-the-letters-a-c/) [Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siddhartha-mukherjee/) > [A reason to have computers understand natural language is that it's an extremely effective way of communicating. What I came to realize is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-winograd/a-reason-to-have-computers-understand-natural-language-is-that-it-s/) [Terry Winograd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-winograd/) > [Never arbitrate. Arbitration allows a third party to determine your destiny. It is a resort of the weak.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/attila-the-hun/never-arbitrate-arbitration-allows-a-third-party-to-determine-your/) [Attila the Hun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/attila-the-hun/) > [It's kind of tough as you're playing you kind of wonder what is going to happen to you as you go through arbitration or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/it-s-kind-of-tough-as-you-re-playing-you-kind-of-wonder-what-is-going/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) ## More 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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/production-speed-is-severely-slowed-down-if-one-works-with-half-time/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [The computing scientist's main challenge is not to get confused by the complexities of his own making.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/the-computing-scientist-s-main-challenge-is-not-to-get-confused-by/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/probably-i-am-very-naive-but-i-also-think-i-prefer-to-remain-so-at/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/in-the-good-old-days-physicists-repeated-each-other-s-experiments/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Don't compete with me: firstly, I have more experience, and secondly, I have chosen the weapons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/don-t-compete-with-me-firstly-i-have-more-experience-and-secondly-i/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/computer-science-is-no-more-about-computers-than-astronomy-is-about/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/the-use-of-anthropomorphic-terminology-forces-you-linguistically-to/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/teaching-to-unsuspecting-youngsters-the-effective-use-of-formal/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/please-don-t-fall-into-the-trap-of-believing-that-i-am-terribly/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Brainpower is by far our scarcest resource.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/brainpower-is-by-far-our-scarcest-resource/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Programming in Basic causes brain damage.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/programming-in-basic-causes-brain-damage/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) > [Several people have told me that my inability to suffer fools gladly is one of my main weaknesses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/several-people-have-told-me-that-my-inability-to-suffer-fools-gladly/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/i-now-have-had-my-foggy-crystal-ball-for-quite-a-long-time-its/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/in-this-respect-a-program-is-like-a-poem-you-cannot-write-a-poem/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/about-the-use-of-language-it-is-impossible-to-sharpen-a-pencil-with-a/) [Edsger Dijkstra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) [Explore all 103 Edsger Dijkstra quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/) ## More Activity quotes > [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [It must be assumed and established as a principle, that the right of private property must be regarded as sacred. Wherefore, the law ought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-leo-xiii/it-must-be-assumed-and-established-as-a-principle-that-the-right-of/) [Pope Leo XIII](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-leo-xiii/) > [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [And also I think the rise of other, you could say, destinations for international jihadis mean that Pakistan isn't necessarily the place where people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohsin-hamid/and-also-i-think-the-rise-of-other-you-could-say-destinations-for/) [Mohsin Hamid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohsin-hamid/) > [To evoke in oneself a feeling one has once experienced, and having evoked it in oneself, then by means of movements, lines, colors, sounds,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/to-evoke-in-oneself-a-feeling-one-has-once-experienced-and-having/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Fighting's fun, man. It's a great activity, it's a great sport.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-mitrione/fighting-s-fun-man-it-s-a-great-activity-it-s-a-great-sport/) [Matt Mitrione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-mitrione/) > [There were books everywhere in my house. Books were very present. I just loved books. I never understood reading as anything but a pleasurable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-lucas/there-were-books-everywhere-in-my-house-books-were-very-present-i/) [Lisa Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-lucas/) > [For war to man, like childbirth to women, is simplifying in its emotions and activities. All the real problems of life can be put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pearl-s-buck/for-war-to-man-like-childbirth-to-women-is-simplifying-in-its/) [Pearl S. Buck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pearl-s-buck/) > [The only activity a cynic will find contagious is yawning, that is, with other people, at other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-only-activity-a-cynic-will-find-contagious-is-yawning-that-is/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [For the longest time, neuroscientists were forced to be passive observers of brain activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gero-miesenbock/for-the-longest-time-neuroscientists-were-forced-to-be-passive/) Gero Miesenbock > [Enjoyment is not a goal, it is a feeling that accompanies important ongoing activity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-goodman/enjoyment-is-not-a-goal-it-is-a-feeling-that-accompanies-important/) [Paul Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-goodman/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [“Fun is not an activity, it is a state of mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-mcgill/fun-is-not-an-activity-it-is-a-state-of-mind/) [Bryant McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-mcgill/) > [I have to consider everything I eat; I consider every activity I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-kimball/i-have-to-consider-everything-i-eat-i-consider-every-activity-i-do/) [Charlie Kimball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-kimball/) > [Almost all good businesses engage in 'pain today, gain tomorrow' activities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/almost-all-good-businesses-engage-in-pain-today-gain-tomorrow/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 3,263 Activity quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "So-called \"natural language\" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to tell jokes in, to cheat or to make love in (and Theorists of Literary Criticism can even be content-free in it), but it is hopelessly inadequate when we have to deal unambiguously with situations of great intricacy, situations which unavoidably arise in such activities as legislation, arbitration, mathematics or programming.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Edsger Dijkstra" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful-for-the-purposes-it-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Activity" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful-for-the-purposes-it-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0c3/edsger-dijkstra-5102_activity_so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful_1739280.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“So-called \"natural language\" is wonderful for the purposes it was created for, such as to be rude in, to…” — Edsger Dijkstra", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Edsger Dijkstra", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edsger-dijkstra/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "So-called \"natural language\" is wonderful for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful-for-the-purposes-it-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/so-called-natural-language-is-wonderful-for-the-purposes-it-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```