--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The idea of abstracting away the one…" description: "\"The idea of abstracting away the one thing that must be blindingly fast, the kernel, is inherently counter productive.\" — Linus Torvalds" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/linus-torvalds-1512_ideas_the-idea-of-abstracting-away-the-one-thi_1215546.jpg" --- # The idea of abstracting away the one thing that must be… ![“The idea of abstracting away the one thing that must be blindingly fast, the kernel, is inherently counter productive.” quote by Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/linus-torvalds-1512_ideas_the-idea-of-abstracting-away-the-one-thi_1215546.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/linus-torvalds-1512_ideas_the-idea-of-abstracting-away-the-one-thi_1215546.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e1b/linus-torvalds-1512_ideas_the-idea-of-abstracting-away-the-one-thi_1215546.jpg) > “The idea of abstracting away the one thing that must be blindingly fast, the kernel, is inherently counter productive.” [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. Abstracting the kernel, which must be extremely fast, leads to inefficiency because speed is lost in abstraction. **In simple terms:** Abstraction can slow essential components. Key Takeaway Keep critical code low‑level. Themes software engineering performance abstraction Mood technical analytical Type engineering strategic When to use this quote - operating systems - high‑frequency trading - real‑time processing - embedded devices Key Concepts kernel design optimization trade‑offs Questions to Reflect On - When is abstraction justified? - How to balance simplicity and performance? A Different Perspective Abstraction may simplify but can degrade speed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Counter Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/counter-productive-1879085/) [Fast Kernel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fast-kernel-3702670/) [Idea Abstracting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-abstracting-3702671/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Inherently Counter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inherently-counter-3702669/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Kernel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kernel/) [Kernel Inherently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kernel-inherently-3702668/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [One thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/one-thing/) [Productive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/productive/) ## Related quotes > [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/) > [There are lots of Linux users who don't care how the kernel works but only want to use it is not only a tribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/there-are-lots-of-linux-users-who-don-t-care-how-the-kernel-works-but-2/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [While we ended up having several core maintainers use BitKeeper - it was free to use for open source projects - it never got…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/while-we-ended-up-having-several-core-maintainers-use-bitkeeper-it/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [It's a personality trait: from the very beginning, I knew what I was concentrating on. 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The people who started using…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linus-torvalds/there-s-a-few-historical-reasons-for-why-git-was-considered/) [Linus Torvalds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linus-torvalds/) > [“Respecting other humans is becoming counter productive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aidan-donnelly/respecting-other-humans-is-becoming-counter-productive/) [Aidan Donnelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aidan-donnelly/) > [War is an irrational, counter-productive way to handle conflicts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-s-wittner/war-is-an-irrational-counter-productive-way-to-handle-conflicts/) [Lawrence S. Wittner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-s-wittner/) ## 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. 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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. 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