--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If you give someone Fortran, he has…" description: "\"If you give someone Fortran, he has Fortran. If you give someone Lisp, he has any language he pleases\" — Guy Steele" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/guy-steele-54934_computer_if-you-give-someone-fortran-he-has-fortr_1331554.png" --- # If you give someone Fortran, he has Fortran. If you give… ![“If you give someone Fortran, he has Fortran. If you give someone Lisp, he has any language he pleases” quote by Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/guy-steele-54934_computer_if-you-give-someone-fortran-he-has-fortr_1331554.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/guy-steele-54934_computer_if-you-give-someone-fortran-he-has-fortr_1331554.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6ba/guy-steele-54934_computer_if-you-give-someone-fortran-he-has-fortr_1331554.png) > “If you give someone Fortran, he has Fortran. If you give someone Lisp, he has any language he pleases” [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Programming language choice influences thinking; exposing a programmer to a language shapes their problem‑solving style. **In simple terms:** Languages shape how programmers think. Key Takeaway Explore diverse languages to broaden perspective. Themes programming language influence cognitive style software development Mood analytical inquisitive Type technical educational When to use this quote - learning a new language - teaching - team collaboration - project design - career growth Key Concepts computer science education creativity Questions to Reflect On - How does language affect your coding approach? - Can you think abstractly beyond language constraints? A Different Perspective The quote may ignore individual adaptability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [The continuation that obeys only obvious stack semantics, O grasshopper, is not the true continuation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/the-continuation-that-obeys-only-obvious-stack-semantics-o/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [We were not out to win over the Lisp programmers; we were after the C++ programmers. We managed to drag a lot of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/we-were-not-out-to-win-over-the-lisp-programmers-we-were-after-the-c/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [FORTRAN is not a flower but a weed - it is hardy, occasionally blooms, and grows in every computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/fortran-is-not-a-flower-but-a-weed-it-is-hardy-occasionally-blooms/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [FORTRAN was the language of choice for the same reason that three-legged races are popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-thompson/fortran-was-the-language-of-choice-for-the-same-reason-that-three/) [Ken Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-thompson/) > [“I was impressed by the scene in Apollo 13 where the astronauts request confirmation of their calculations and several people at Mission Control dive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-roberts/i-was-impressed-by-the-scene-in-apollo-13-where-the-astronauts/) Matt Roberts > [“And there is one disconcerting thing about working with a computer – it's likely to talk back to you. You make some tiny mistake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-drury-clark/and-there-is-one-disconcerting-thing-about-working-with-a-computer-it/) John Drury Clark > [I don't know what the language of the year 2000 will look like, but I know it will be called Fortran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/i-don-t-know-what-the-language-of-the-year-2000-will-look-like-but-i/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [FORTRAN, the infantile disorder, by now nearly 20 years old, is hopelessly inadequate for whatever computer application you have in mind today: it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edsger-dijkstra/fortran-the-infantile-disorder-by-now-nearly-20-years-old-is/) [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/) > [You can measure a programmer's perspective by noting his attitude on the continuing vitality of FORTRAN.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/you-can-measure-a-programmer-s-perspective-by-noting-his-attitude-on/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [Lisp is still #1 for key algorithmic techniques such as recursion and condescension.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/verity-stob/lisp-is-still-1-for-key-algorithmic-techniques-such-as-recursion-and/) Verity Stob > [Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/lisp-is-worth-learning-for-the-profound-enlightenment-experience-you/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [I find it cruel that the word lisp has an s in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/i-find-it-cruel-that-the-word-lisp-has-an-s-in-it/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-perlis/lisp-programmers-know-the-value-of-everything-and-the-cost-of-nothing/) [Alan Perlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-perlis/) > [Take Lisp, you know its the most beautiful language in the world -- at least up until Haskell came along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/take-lisp-you-know-its-the-most-beautiful-language-in-the-world-at/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## More by Guy Steele > [There's a story about how the program is organized, there's a story about the context in which the program is expected to operate. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/there-s-a-story-about-how-the-program-is-organized-there-s-a-story/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [The continuation that obeys only obvious stack semantics, O grasshopper, is not the true continuation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/the-continuation-that-obeys-only-obvious-stack-semantics-o/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [Some people prefer not to commingle the functional, lambda-calculus part of a language with the parts that do side effects. It seems they believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/some-people-prefer-not-to-commingle-the-functional-lambda-calculus/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [We were not out to win over the Lisp programmers; we were after the C++ programmers. We managed to drag a lot of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/we-were-not-out-to-win-over-the-lisp-programmers-we-were-after-the-c/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) > [A man, a plan, a canoe, pasta, heros, rajahs, a coloratura, maps, snipe, percale, macaroni, a gag, a banana bag, a tan, a tag,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-steele/a-man-a-plan-a-canoe-pasta-heros-rajahs-a-coloratura-maps-snipe/) [Guy Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) [Explore all 6 Guy Steele quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-steele/) ## More Computer quotes > [Issac:"I dislike living in a world without Augustus Waters." Computer: "I don't understand-" Issac: "Me neither. Pause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/issac-i-dislike-living-in-a-world-without-augustus-waters-computer-i/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/) [Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/) > [The display is the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-hsun-huang/the-display-is-the-computer/) Jen-Hsun Huang > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [One of our big goals in search is to make search that really understands exactly what you want, understands everything in the world. As…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-page/one-of-our-big-goals-in-search-is-to-make-search-that-really/) [Larry Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-page/) > [We are beginning to see intimations of this in the implantation of computer devices into the human body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-kurzweil/we-are-beginning-to-see-intimations-of-this-in-the-implantation-of/) [Ray Kurzweil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-kurzweil/) > [I'm from the South, so I'm very old-fashioned and I'm not very computer savvy at all, but I'm getting it. I understand that, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angie-harmon/i-m-from-the-south-so-i-m-very-old-fashioned-and-i-m-not-very/) [Angie Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angie-harmon/) > [“To all the secret writers, late-night painters, would-be singers, lapsed and scared artists of every stripe, dig out your paintbrush, or your flute, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/to-all-the-secret-writers-late-night-painters-would-be-singers-lapsed/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [A little bit more than 50% of what you see on screen is handcrafted and the other 50% was about emulating these textures on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-abreu/a-little-bit-more-than-50-of-what-you-see-on-screen-is-handcrafted/) [Alex Abreu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-abreu/) > [Well I'm trying to think what I put in... I think I put in 'why?' to see if I'd confuse the computer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/well-i-m-trying-to-think-what-i-put-in-i-think-i-put-in-why-to-see-if/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [Our brains are great at knowing what to forget. We actually have to teach computers to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/our-brains-are-great-at-knowing-what-to-forget-we-actually-have-to/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Nor would anybody suspect. If was one thing all people took for granted, was conviction that if you feed honest figures into a computer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/nor-would-anybody-suspect-if-was-one-thing-all-people-took-for/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [In nine months, a group of children left alone with a computer in any language will reach the same standard as an office secretary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sugata-mitra/in-nine-months-a-group-of-children-left-alone-with-a-computer-in-any/) [Sugata Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sugata-mitra/) > [Why do you do what you do? Why do you dress the way you dress?Why do you do what you do with your time?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-conway/why-do-you-do-what-you-do-why-do-you-dress-the-way-you-dress-why-do/) [Tim Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-conway/) > [Yeah, I'm a geek. I read sci-fi and I watch sci-fi films. I love my computer and I love to fix it. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-benson/yeah-i-m-a-geek-i-read-sci-fi-and-i-watch-sci-fi-films-i-love-my/) [Amber Benson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-benson/) [Browse all 3,924 Computer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If you give someone Fortran, he has Fortran. 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