--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The three chief virtues of a programmer…" description: "\"The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness, Impatience and Hubris.\" — Larry Wall" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png" --- # The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness… ![“The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness, Impatience and Hubris.” quote by Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png) > “The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness, Impatience and Hubris.” [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. A programmer thrives when they avoid unnecessary work, seek efficient solutions quickly, and confidently challenge assumptions. **In simple terms:** Programmers succeed by being lazy, impatient, and confident. Key Takeaway Embrace efficiency, speed, and boldness. Themes productivity efficiency confidence creativity humor Mood playful insightful technical Type aphor advice humorous When to use this quote - debugging - code review - system design - learning new languages Key Concepts software engineering human factors psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance confidence with humility? - When does impatience become counterproductive? A Different Perspective Too much hubris can lead to over‑engineering or fragile code. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Hubris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hubris/) [Impatience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impatience/) [Laziness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laziness/) [Procrastination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/procrastination/) [Programmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programmer/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Virtues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtues/) ## Related quotes > [Most of you are familiar with the virtues of a programmer. There are three, of course: laziness, impatience, and hubris.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/most-of-you-are-familiar-with-the-virtues-of-a-programmer-there-are/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [The choice of approaches could be made the responsibility of the programmer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-choice-of-approaches-could-be-made-the-responsibility-of-the/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [Hubris itself will not let you be an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/hubris-itself-will-not-let-you-be-an-artist/) [Larry Wall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-wall/) > [When you have a programmer-founded company it often gets really techy, if you have a producer or a business-person, it all really sets the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-schafer/when-you-have-a-programmer-founded-company-it-often-gets-really-techy/) [Tim Schafer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-schafer/) > [To a programmer, an operating system is defined by its API.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-petzold/to-a-programmer-an-operating-system-is-defined-by-its-api/) [Charles Petzold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-petzold/) > [The number of lines of code a programmer can write in a fixed period of time is the same independent of the language used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-j-corbato/the-number-of-lines-of-code-a-programmer-can-write-in-a-fixed-period/) [Fernando J. Corbato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-j-corbato/) > [The government does things like insisting that all encryption programs should have a back door. But surely no one is stupid enough to think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mitnick/the-government-does-things-like-insisting-that-all-encryption/) [Kevin Mitnick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mitnick/) > [The three most dangerous things in the world are a programmer with a soldering iron, a hardware type with a program patch and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-cook/the-three-most-dangerous-things-in-the-world-are-a-programmer-with-a/) [Rick Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-cook/) > [“As a programmer, you are part listener, part advisor, part interpreter, and part dictator.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hunt/as-a-programmer-you-are-part-listener-part-advisor-part-interpreter/) [Andrew Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hunt/) > [Computer science education cannot make anybody an expert programmer any more than studying brushes and pigment can make somebody an expert painter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/computer-science-education-cannot-make-anybody-an-expert-programmer/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You don't have to be a nerd or a programmer or a network engineer to make a difference.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-mackinnon/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-nerd-or-a-programmer-or-a-network-engineer-to/) [Rebecca MacKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-mackinnon/) > [“I am a non-accredited, overly logical psychologist, therapist, mechanic, diplomat, businessman, and Teacher working in an industry that is still defining itself each and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ka-wai-cheung/i-am-a-non-accredited-overly-logical-psychologist-therapist-mechanic/) [Ka Wai Cheung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ka-wai-cheung/) > [At forty, I was too old to work as a programmer myself anymore; writing code is a young person’s job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-crichton/at-forty-i-was-too-old-to-work-as-a-programmer-myself-anymore-writing/) [Michael Crichton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-crichton/) > [Programming is how we talk to the machines that are increasingly woven into our lives. If you aren't a programmer, you're like one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-reilly/programming-is-how-we-talk-to-the-machines-that-are-increasingly/) [Tim O'Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-reilly/) > [As a programmer, it is your job to put yourself out of business. What you do today can be automated tomorrow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-mcilroy/as-a-programmer-it-is-your-job-to-put-yourself-out-of-business-what/) [Douglas McIlroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-mcilroy/) ## 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 Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/) David Hudgins > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/) > [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/) [Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/) > [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/) [Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/) > [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/) [Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/) > [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/) > [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/) [Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/) > [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/) [Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/) [Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness, Impatience and Hubris.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry Wall" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer-are-laziness-impatience-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Character" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer-are-laziness-impatience-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a3e/larry-wall-1576_character_the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer_282474.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The three chief virtues of a programmer are: Laziness, Impatience and Hubris.” — 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": "The three chief virtues of a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer-are-laziness-impatience-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-wall/the-three-chief-virtues-of-a-programmer-are-laziness-impatience-and/#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 } } ] } ```