--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modernism was based on a kind of…" description: "\"“Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance ... and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/larry-wall-1576_bad-thoughts_modernism-was-based-on-a-kind-of-arrogan_3198582.jpg" --- # Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance ... and led… ![“Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance ... and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally cool. That is, if something's worth doing, it's worth driving into the ground to the exclusion of all other approaches. Look at the use of…” quote by Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/larry-wall-1576_bad-thoughts_modernism-was-based-on-a-kind-of-arrogan_3198582.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/larry-wall-1576_bad-thoughts_modernism-was-based-on-a-kind-of-arrogan_3198582.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75d/larry-wall-1576_bad-thoughts_modernism-was-based-on-a-kind-of-arrogan_3198582.jpg) > ““Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance ... and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally cool. That is, if something's worth doing, it's worth driving into the ground to the exclusion of all other approaches. Look at the use of parentheses in Lisp or the use of white space as syntax in Python. Or the mandatory use of objects in many languages, including Java. All of these are ways of taking freedom away from the end user "for their own good". They're just versions of Orwell's Newspeak, in which it's impossible to think bad thoughts. We escaped from the fashion police in the 1970s, but many programmers are still slaves of the cyber police.”” [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. Modernist design arrogance forces uniformity, limiting user freedom and creativity. **In simple terms:** Design trends can restrict user choice. Key Takeaway Question flexibility over imposed standards. Themes design freedom programming culture uniformity Mood critical reflective Type analytical commentary When to use this quote - software development - UI design - language choice - developer mindset Key Concepts Arrogance Orwellian control syntax constraints Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance consistency with freedom? - What alternatives exist to current language constraints? A Different Perspective Uniform standards may stifle innovation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad thoughts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thoughts/) [Designers Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/designers-believe-4047394/) [Lisp Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lisp-use-5928978/) [Modernism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism/) [Modernism Based](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modernism-based-2597981/) [Programmers Slaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programmers-slaves-5928977/) [White space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-space/) ## Related quotes > [The hope of good design lies in those designers who believe in what they do and will only do what they believeContrary to hearsay,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-girard/the-hope-of-good-design-lies-in-those-designers-who-believe-in-what/) [Alexander Girard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-girard/) > [“For anyone who understood the essence of modernism based on and originating in the secularizing and humanistic tendencies of the European Renaissance, it was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seyyed-hossein-nasr/for-anyone-who-understood-the-essence-of-modernism-based-on-and/) [Seyyed Hossein Nasr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seyyed-hossein-nasr/) > [Many computer scientists have fallen into the trap of trying to define languages like George Orwell's Newspeak, in which it is impossible to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/many-computer-scientists-have-fallen-into-the-trap-of-trying-to/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Witness Donald Trump's current presidential campaign. So first people need to find the white spaces, the unexploited or underexploited niches where there is less…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-pfeffer/witness-donald-trump-s-current-presidential-campaign-so-first-people/) [Jeffrey Pfeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-pfeffer/) > [“Nobody will do their best work until they have lots of white space on their calendars.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/nobody-will-do-their-best-work-until-they-have-lots-of-white-space-on/) [Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/) > [“Scrawled in the album’s white space, in an angry deeply-pushed biro that indented even the next page, were some words paraphrased from Tennyson’s Locksley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-drinkwater/scrawled-in-the-album-s-white-space-in-an-angry-deeply-pushed-biro/) [Karl Drinkwater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-drinkwater/) > [Mausoleum air and anguished pauses: If this production were a poem, it would be mostly white space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-corliss/mausoleum-air-and-anguished-pauses-if-this-production-were-a-poem-it/) [Richard Corliss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-corliss/) > [I don't think there is anything wrong with white space. I don't think it's a problem to have a blank wall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-leibovitz/i-don-t-think-there-is-anything-wrong-with-white-space-i-don-t-think/) [Annie Leibovitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-leibovitz/) > [Singapore gives 10% "white space" time to all of its teachers to come up with their own innovations outside of the official curriculum. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-hargreaves/singapore-gives-10-white-space-time-to-all-of-its-teachers-to-come-up/) [Andy Hargreaves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-hargreaves/) > [You can tell it's a poem because it's swimming in a little gel pack of white space. That shows it's a poem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholson-baker/you-can-tell-it-s-a-poem-because-it-s-swimming-in-a-little-gel-pack/) [Nicholson Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholson-baker/) > [Memory doesn't come as a straight narrative. It comes in small moments with all this white space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-woodson/memory-doesn-t-come-as-a-straight-narrative-it-comes-in-small-moments/) [Jacqueline Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-woodson/) > [“By the time I got to high school, I had learned to be more cautious about revealing my dreams. I was reading—and therefore writing—adventure…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-a-obreht/by-the-time-i-got-to-high-school-i-had-learned-to-be-more-cautious/) [Téa Obreht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-a-obreht/) > [I really felt like there was a white space in the market in the jewelry industry. There was very, very overpriced things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-scott/i-really-felt-like-there-was-a-white-space-in-the-market-in-the/) [Kendra Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-scott/) > [There must be an open space in the paintings - an entry space for the viewer, or even for me. Just white space where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norbert-bisky/there-must-be-an-open-space-in-the-paintings-an-entry-space-for-the/) [Norbert Bisky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norbert-bisky/) > [Plenty of white space and generous line spacing,and don't make the type size too miserly. Then you will be assured of a product fit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giambattista-bodoni/plenty-of-white-space-and-generous-line-spacing-and-don-t-make-the/) [Giambattista Bodoni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giambattista-bodoni/) ## 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 Bad thoughts quotes > [“Personally, I’m a mess of conflicting impulses—I’m independent and greedy and I also want to belong and share and be a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/personally-i-m-a-mess-of-conflicting-impulses-i-m-independent-and/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [When he went through the kitchen he kissed Rebeca on the forehead. "Get those bad thoughts out of your head," he told her. "You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/when-he-went-through-the-kitchen-he-kissed-rebeca-on-the-forehead-get/) [Gabriel Garcia Marquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/) > [Assumptions result in bad thoughts, bad thoughts result in jealousy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/assumptions-result-in-bad-thoughts-bad-thoughts-result-in-jealousy/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The first duty of a Christian, of a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ, is to deny himself. To deny oneself means to give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innocent-of-alaska/the-first-duty-of-a-christian-of-a-disciple-and-follower-of-jesus/) [Innocent of Alaska](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innocent-of-alaska/) > [“Psychological thoughts are the ones that decide whether something is “good” or “bad”, and these are the thoughts that create our suffering.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-elkrief/psychological-thoughts-are-the-ones-that-decide-whether-something-is/) [Noah Elkrief](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-elkrief/) > [“No difference, good or bad. Thoughts like birds in mind. Some fly in. Some fly out. Some stay at water hole to drink. Beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-wright/no-difference-good-or-bad-thoughts-like-birds-in-mind-some-fly-in/) [Natalie Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-wright/) > [“Do you want me to get your back for you?” Cringe. “No, I’m fine.” “Okay, then could you get mine? I don’t really want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-rae/do-you-want-me-to-get-your-back-for-you-cringe-no-i-m-fine-okay-then/) [Kristin Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-rae/) > [“Never go to sleep with bad thoughts and torturing memories. They will not help you to wake up whole and fully serene—the two states…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhan-gopal-mukerji/never-go-to-sleep-with-bad-thoughts-and-torturing-memories-they-will/) [Dhan Gopal Mukerji](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhan-gopal-mukerji/) > [Assumptions result in bad thoughts and bad thoughts raises so many unanswered questions...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-mudau/assumptions-result-in-bad-thoughts-and-bad-thoughts-raises-so-many/) [Lawrence Mudau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-mudau/) > [My dear heart, never think you are better than others. Listen to their sorrows with compassion. If you want peace, don't harbor bad thoughts,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/my-dear-heart-never-think-you-are-better-than-others-listen-to-their/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“Sometimes people need a good person to listen to their bad thoughts.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-edward-lee-miller/sometimes-people-need-a-good-person-to-listen-to-their-bad-thoughts/) [Cody Edward Lee Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-edward-lee-miller/) > [It doesn't matter what has Happened to You, it doesn't matter where you Came From or where you were Born. It also doesn't matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-jenn/it-doesn-t-matter-what-has-happened-to-you-it-doesn-t-matter-where/) [Jenn Jenn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-jenn/) > [“Good thoughts and actions can never produce bad results; bad thoughts and actions can never produce good results.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-allen/good-thoughts-and-actions-can-never-produce-bad-results-bad-thoughts/) [James Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-allen/) > [How many bad thoughts do you have to string together to end up having a bad day?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-kemp/how-many-bad-thoughts-do-you-have-to-string-together-to-end-up-having/) [Lee Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-kemp/) > [“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. PROVERBS 17:22 SEPTEMBER 18 I visited my old hometown and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/a-cheerful-heart-is-good-medicine-but-a-crushed-spirit-dries-up-the/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) [Browse all 85 Bad thoughts quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-thoughts/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Modernism was based on a kind of arrogance ... and led designers to believe that if they thought of something cool, it must be considered universally cool. That is, if something's worth doing, it's worth driving into the ground to the exclusion of all other approaches. Look at the use of parentheses in Lisp or the use of white space as syntax in Python. Or the mandatory use of objects in many languages, including Java. All of these are ways of taking freedom away from the end user \"for their own good\". 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