--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Developers have the attention spans of…" description: "\"Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.\" — Linus Torvalds" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg" --- # Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic… ![“Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.” quote by Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg) > “Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.” [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Developers often have short attention spans, likened humorously to simple forest animals. **In simple terms:** Developers' focus can be fleeting. Key Takeaway Structure tasks to maintain focus. Themes productivity attention humor Mood pragmatic lighthearted Type workplace psychology When to use this quote - coding sprints - debugging sessions - team meetings - learning new languages Key Concepts cognitive science software engineering Questions to Reflect On - How can teams improve sustained attention? - What role does humor play in tech culture? A Different Perspective Complex tasks may still suffer despite short spans. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Attention](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention/) [Attention span](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attention-span/) [Developers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/developers/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Woodland creatures](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/woodland-creatures/) ## Related quotes > ['The Lorax,'...it's a mythical, woodland creature, right, who's for saving trees. He speaks for the trees because no one else can. Kind of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/the-lorax-it-s-a-mythical-woodland-creature-right-who-s-for-saving/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“There are some woodland creatures that, no matter how many bread crumbs you leave out for them ... no matter how patiently you wait…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/there-are-some-woodland-creatures-that-no-matter-how-many-bread/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [I come to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home. I thus dispose of the superfluous and see things as they are,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-come-to-my-solitary-woodland-walk-as-the-homesick-go-home-i-thus/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [Books entered my house under cover of night, from the four winds, smuggled in by woodland creatures, and then they never left. Books collected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/books-entered-my-house-under-cover-of-night-from-the-four-winds/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I come to my solitary woodland walk as the homesick go home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-come-to-my-solitary-woodland-walk-as-the-homesick-go-home/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [I have such disdain for anybody who gets joy out of blowing the stuffing out of a little woodland creature, that I don't really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/i-have-such-disdain-for-anybody-who-gets-joy-out-of-blowing-the/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [“I can also speak to small woodland creatures,” he grins at me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gwenn-wright/i-can-also-speak-to-small-woodland-creatures-he-grins-at-me/) [Gwenn Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gwenn-wright/) > [“I thought about it for a moment. Should I dress up like a bush and stalk poor, innocent woodland creatures that will be brutally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-hogben/i-thought-about-it-for-a-moment-should-i-dress-up-like-a-bush-and/) [Greg Hogben](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-hogben/) > [“I wish I could take a quick trip to the Legacy Orchard right about now and do some research on strange forests and talking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perdita-finn/i-wish-i-could-take-a-quick-trip-to-the-legacy-orchard-right-about/) [Perdita Finn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perdita-finn/) > [Before the commercial ventures, Linux tended to be rather hard to set up, because most of the developers were motivated mainly by their own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/before-the-commercial-ventures-linux-tended-to-be-rather-hard-to-set/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I can mostly laugh at myself and this whole mess called "Linux developers," which means that I get along with most people and most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-can-mostly-laugh-at-myself-and-this-whole-mess-called-linux/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The thing with Linux is that the developers themselves are actually customers too: that has always been an important part of Linux.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/the-thing-with-linux-is-that-the-developers-themselves-are-actually/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Heartless though it may seem to some, among the least harmful things to eat are sustainably culled wild animals. In the absence of natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tristram-stuart/heartless-though-it-may-seem-to-some-among-the-least-harmful-things/) [Tristram Stuart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tristram-stuart/) > [I do not plan my fiction any more than I normally plan woodland walks; I follow the path that seems most promising at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-fowles/i-do-not-plan-my-fiction-any-more-than-i-normally-plan-woodland-walks/) [John Fowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-fowles/) > [Sometimes by a woodland stream he watched the water rush over the pebbled bed, its tiny modulations of bounce and flow. A woman's body…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/sometimes-by-a-woodland-stream-he-watched-the-water-rush-over-the/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) ## More by Linus Torvalds > [Once you realize that documentation should be laughed at, peed upon, put on fire, and just ridiculed in general, then, and only then, have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/once-you-realize-that-documentation-should-be-laughed-at-peed-upon/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I think, fundamentally, open source does tend to be more stable software. It's the right way to do things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-think-fundamentally-open-source-does-tend-to-be-more-stable/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I used to be interested in Windows NT, but the more I see it, the more it looks like traditional Windows with a stabler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-used-to-be-interested-in-windows-nt-but-the-more-i-see-it-the-more/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I think that freely available software can not only keep up with the evolution of commercial software, but often exceed what you can do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-think-that-freely-available-software-can-not-only-keep-up-with-the/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Programmers are in the enviable position of not only getting to do what they want to, but because the end result is so important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/programmers-are-in-the-enviable-position-of-not-only-getting-to-do/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The NIH syndrome (Not Invented Here) is a disease.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/the-nih-syndrome-not-invented-here-is-a-disease/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [The correct form factor for a laptop is obviously 12" and 2 lbs, and I don't understand why everybody gets that wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/the-correct-form-factor-for-a-laptop-is-obviously-12-and-2-lbs-and-i/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Hmmm, completely a-religious - atheist. I find that people seem to think religion brings morals and appreciation of nature. I actually think it detracts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/hmmm-completely-a-religious-atheist-i-find-that-people-seem-to-think/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [People will realize that software is not a product; you use it to build a product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/people-will-realize-that-software-is-not-a-product-you-use-it-to/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I claim that Mach people (and apparently FreeBSD) are incompetent idiots.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-claim-that-mach-people-and-apparently-freebsd-are-incompetent-idiots/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [There are "extremists" in the free software world, but that's one major reason why I don't call what I do "free software" any more.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/there-are-extremists-in-the-free-software-world-but-that-s-one-major/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Real quality means making sure that people are proud of the code they write, that they're involved and taking it personally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/real-quality-means-making-sure-that-people-are-proud-of-the-code-they/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I have one very basic rule when it comes to "good ideas". A good idea is not an idea that solves a problem cleanly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-have-one-very-basic-rule-when-it-comes-to-good-ideas-a-good-idea-is/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [I've never regretted not making Linux shareware: I really don't like the pay for use binary shareware programs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/i-ve-never-regretted-not-making-linux-shareware-i-really-don-t-like/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [Modern PCs are horrible. ACPI is a complete design disaster in every way. But we're kind of stuck with it. If any Intel people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/modern-pcs-are-horrible-acpi-is-a-complete-design-disaster-in-every/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) [Explore all 233 Linus Torvalds quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) ## More Animals quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It’s a small thing to help one animal, but to that one animal it’s a big thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-baur/it-s-a-small-thing-to-help-one-animal-but-to-that-one-animal-it-s-a/) [Gene Baur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-baur/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [“All these creatures spend their time explaining, realizing happily that they agree with each other.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/all-these-creatures-spend-their-time-explaining-realizing-happily/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [We're not very dangerous animals; we don't have a horn like a rhino or quills like a porcupine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-fisher/we-re-not-very-dangerous-animals-we-don-t-have-a-horn-like-a-rhino-or/) [Helen Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fisher/) > [We need, in a special way, to work twice as hard to help people understand that animals are fellow creatures, that we must protect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-need-in-a-special-way-to-work-twice-as-hard-to-help-people/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [“Plenty of animals had pets, but few were more devoted than the mouse, who owned a baby corn snake—“A rescue snake, she’d be quick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-sedaris/plenty-of-animals-had-pets-but-few-were-more-devoted-than-the-mouse/) [David Sedaris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-sedaris/) > [No creature can attain a higher grade of nature without ceasing to exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ananda-coomaraswamy/no-creature-can-attain-a-higher-grade-of-nature-without-ceasing-to/) [Ananda Coomaraswamy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ananda-coomaraswamy/) > [Most people are sensitized to animals through their cats and dogs, but for me it was a flounder. I used to go fishing with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-mathews/most-people-are-sensitized-to-animals-through-their-cats-and-dogs-but/) [Dan Mathews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-mathews/) [Browse all 6,813 Animals quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Linus Torvalds" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-slightly-moronic-woodland/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animals" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-slightly-moronic-woodland/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c10/linus-torvalds-1512_animals_developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-s_330591.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Developers have the attention spans of slightly moronic woodland creatures.” — Linus Torvalds", "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": "Linus Torvalds", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Developers have the attention spans of...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-slightly-moronic-woodland/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/developers-have-the-attention-spans-of-slightly-moronic-woodland/#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 } } ] } ```