--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: But the possibility of abuse may be a…" description: "\"But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for leaving capabilities out of other computer languages, it's not a good reason for leaving capabili..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png" --- # But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for… ![“But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for leaving capabilities out of other computer languages, it's not a good reason for leaving capabilities out of Perl.” quote by Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png) > “But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for leaving capabilities out of other computer languages, it's not a good reason for leaving capabilities out of Perl.” [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving capabilities out of languages can prevent abuse, but removing them from Perl is unjustified. **In simple terms:** Capabilities can be misused, yet Perl should retain them. Key Takeaway Preserve flexibility while managing risk. Themes programming security language design Mood cautious analytical Type technical philosophical When to use this quote - system design - code review - language selection - risk assessment Key Concepts capability safety software ethics Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can allow capabilities safely? - When is it acceptable to limit language features? A Different Perspective Over‑restriction can stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) [Abuse Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse-good-1952085/) [Capabilities Perl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capabilities-perl-2748327/) [Capability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/capability/) [Computer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer/) [Computer language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-language/) [Computer Languages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computer-languages-1162812/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Leaving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving/) [Leaving Capabilities](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leaving-capabilities-2748328/) [May](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/may/) [Perl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perl/) [Possibility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility/) [Possibility Abuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/possibility-abuse-2748326/) [Python](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/python/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [So many computer languages try to force you into one way of thinking and Perl is very much the opposite of that approach. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/so-many-computer-languages-try-to-force-you-into-one-way-of-thinking/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Computer languages differ not so much in what they make possible, but in what they make easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/computer-languages-differ-not-so-much-in-what-they-make-possible-but/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [The purpose of most computer languages is to lengthen your resume by a word and a comma.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-purpose-of-most-computer-languages-is-to-lengthen-your-resume-by/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Human languages tend to be much more ambiguous than computer languages because humans are much smarter about interpreting the context.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/human-languages-tend-to-be-much-more-ambiguous-than-computer/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [There's many scripting languages in the world, Perl is a little bit special because it is based more on some ideas from the way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/there-s-many-scripting-languages-in-the-world-perl-is-a-little-bit/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [ \[Boxed\] Multiple bouncing balls in a box are a metaphor for community. Notice how the escaping balls explode. This is what happens to people… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/boxed-multiple-bouncing-balls-in-a-box-are-a-metaphor-for-community/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Guilty as charged. Perl is happily ugly, and happily derivative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/guilty-as-charged-perl-is-happily-ugly-and-happily-derivative/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Well, I think Perl should run faster than C.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/well-i-think-perl-should-run-faster-than-c/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perl should remain fast and intuitive (to the extent that it is :-)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-should-remain-fast-and-intuitive-to-the-extent-that-it-is/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perl is worse than Python because people wanted it worse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-is-worse-than-python-because-people-wanted-it-worse/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [The whole intent of Perl 5's module system was to encourage the growth of Perl culture rather than the Perl core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-whole-intent-of-perl-5-s-module-system-was-to-encourage-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perl has a long tradition of working around compilers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-has-a-long-tradition-of-working-around-compilers/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [And besides, if Perl really takes off in the Windows space, I think the rest of us would just as soon have a double-agent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/and-besides-if-perl-really-takes-off-in-the-windows-space-i-think-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I'm reminded of the day my daughter came in, looked over my shoulder at some Perl 4 code, and said, 'What is that, swearing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-m-reminded-of-the-day-my-daughter-came-in-looked-over-my-shoulder/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perhaps you should compile your Perl with long doubles one of these megaseconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perhaps-you-should-compile-your-perl-with-long-doubles-one-of-these/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## More by Larry Wall > [Not that I have anything much against redundancy. But I said that already.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/not-that-i-have-anything-much-against-redundancy-but-i-said-that/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perhaps you should compile your Perl with long doubles one of these megaseconds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perhaps-you-should-compile-your-perl-with-long-doubles-one-of-these/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [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/) > [I'm reminded of the day my daughter came in, looked over my shoulder at some Perl 4 code, and said, 'What is that, swearing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-m-reminded-of-the-day-my-daughter-came-in-looked-over-my-shoulder/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Yes, but I did manage to increase the amount of virginity in the world by that method.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/yes-but-i-did-manage-to-increase-the-amount-of-virginity-in-the-world/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I won't mention any names, because I don't want to get sun4's into trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-won-t-mention-any-names-because-i-don-t-want-to-get-sun4-s-into/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [And besides, if Perl really takes off in the Windows space, I think the rest of us would just as soon have a double-agent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/and-besides-if-perl-really-takes-off-in-the-windows-space-i-think-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [In general, they do what you want, unless you want consistency.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/in-general-they-do-what-you-want-unless-you-want-consistency/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [I suppose you could switch grammars once you've seen 'use strict subs'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/i-suppose-you-could-switch-grammars-once-you-ve-seen-use-strict-subs/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [While I have historically been a late worker, you know, sometimes I even like to get up early and see what's happened in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/while-i-have-historically-been-a-late-worker-you-know-sometimes-i/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [All language designers are arrogant. Goes with the territory...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/all-language-designers-are-arrogant-goes-with-the-territory/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Perl has a long tradition of working around compilers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/perl-has-a-long-tradition-of-working-around-compilers/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Part of language design is perturbing the proposed feature in various directions to see how it might generalize in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/part-of-language-design-is-perturbing-the-proposed-feature-in-various/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [We can debug relationships, but it's always good policy to consider the people themselves to be features. People get annoyed when you try to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/we-can-debug-relationships-but-it-s-always-good-policy-to-consider/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [The whole intent of Perl 5's module system was to encourage the growth of Perl culture rather than the Perl core.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-whole-intent-of-perl-5-s-module-system-was-to-encourage-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) [Explore all 226 Larry Wall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) ## More Abuse quotes > [I wrote when I was a young teen, but I didn't put an eye on the available markets until I was seventeen. The next…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reed/i-wrote-when-i-was-a-young-teen-but-i-didn-t-put-an-eye-on-the/) [Robert Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reed/) > [Amongst the financial Twitterati, the term 'muppets' has come to describe any client used and abused by some financial predator. I've adopted the term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-ritholtz/amongst-the-financial-twitterati-the-term-muppets-has-come-to/) [Barry Ritholtz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-ritholtz/) > [Being nice is okay,but don't allow anybody to abuse it...try to fight for your self when you know your on the right way...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-nice-is-okay-but-don-t-allow-anybody-to-abuse-it-try-to-fight/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Build a bridge over shame by teaching kids about sexual abuse. Give them a chance to run to us should they encounter it. Be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carolyn-byers-ruch/build-a-bridge-over-shame-by-teaching-kids-about-sexual-abuse-give/) [Carolyn Byers Ruch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carolyn-byers-ruch/) > [It is sure that those are most desirous of honour or glory who cry out loudest of its abuse and the vanity of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baruch-spinoza/it-is-sure-that-those-are-most-desirous-of-honour-or-glory-who-cry/) [Baruch Spinoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baruch-spinoza/) > [“The sole reason I stand to open it up now is that lots of people who are in pain just like I was, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-dsouza/the-sole-reason-i-stand-to-open-it-up-now-is-that-lots-of-people-who/) [Patricia Dsouza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-dsouza/) > [Democracy must be built through open societies that share information. When there is information, there is enlightenment. When there is debate, there are solutions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/atifete-jahjaga/democracy-must-be-built-through-open-societies-that-share-information/) [Atifete Jahjaga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/atifete-jahjaga/) > [I have a theory that all abuse, no matter what kind of abuse it is, is foremost an assault on the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tara-westover/i-have-a-theory-that-all-abuse-no-matter-what-kind-of-abuse-it-is-is/) [Tara Westover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tara-westover/) > [“Blaming therapy, social work and other caring professions for the confabulation of testimony of 'satanic ritual abuse' legitimated a programme of political and social…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/blaming-therapy-social-work-and-other-caring-professions-for-the/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [Finally, the scariest thing about abuse of any shape or form, is, in my opinion, not the abuse itself, but that if it continues…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cumming/finally-the-scariest-thing-about-abuse-of-any-shape-or-form-is-in-my/) [Alan Cumming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cumming/) > [“Research on organised abuse emphasises the diversity of organised abuse cases, and the ways in which serious forms of child maltreatment cluster in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/research-on-organised-abuse-emphasises-the-diversity-of-organised/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [“Stand up for yourself. Never give any one permission to abuse you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/stand-up-for-yourself-never-give-any-one-permission-to-abuse-you/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [All governments should be pressured to correct their abuses of human rights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/all-governments-should-be-pressured-to-correct-their-abuses-of-human/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [“Words are free. It does not mean you should abuse them. Be kind with them. They will mirror your actions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hadinet-tekie/words-are-free-it-does-not-mean-you-should-abuse-them-be-kind-with/) [Hadinet Tekie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hadinet-tekie/) > [My illness is one often characterized by dramatic overspending - in my case through frenzied shopping sprees, credit card abuse, excessive hoarding of unnecessary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-behrman/my-illness-is-one-often-characterized-by-dramatic-overspending-in-my/) [Andy Behrman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-behrman/) [Browse all 3,113 Abuse quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for leaving capabilities out of other computer languages, it's not a good reason for leaving capabilities out of Perl.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Wall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-good-reason-for-leaving/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abuse" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-good-reason-for-leaving/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bbf/larry-wall-1576_abuse_but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-go_2703062.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“But the possibility of abuse may be a good reason for leaving capabilities out of other computer languages…” — Larry Wall", "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": "Larry Wall", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "But the possibility of abuse may...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-good-reason-for-leaving/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/but-the-possibility-of-abuse-may-be-a-good-reason-for-leaving/#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 } } ] } ```