--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Copying all or parts of a program is as…" description: "\"Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free.\" — Richard Stallman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/richard-stallman-4048_breathing_copying-all-or-parts-of-a-program-is-as_1341146.png" --- # Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a… ![“Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free.” quote by Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/richard-stallman-4048_breathing_copying-all-or-parts-of-a-program-is-as_1341146.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/richard-stallman-4048_breathing_copying-all-or-parts-of-a-program-is-as_1341146.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8de/richard-stallman-4048_breathing_copying-all-or-parts-of-a-program-is-as_1341146.png) > “Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. It ought to be as free.” [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Programmers naturally reuse code, which boosts productivity and should be unrestricted. **In simple terms:** Code reuse is natural and productive. Key Takeaway Embrace open sharing of code. Themes software freedom creativity productivity Mood pragmatic optimistic Type technical philosophical When to use this quote - software development - open source projects - team coding - learning from examples Key Concepts intellectual property collaboration Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance openness with security? - When is it appropriate to restrict code reuse? A Different Perspective Unrestricted reuse can lead to security vulnerabilities if not audited. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breathing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) [Programmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programmer/) [Programmers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programmers/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [As a programmer, it is your job to put yourself out of business. 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With automobiles, maybe 2…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-difference-between-the-best-worker-on-computer-hardware-and-the/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [The programmer, who needs clarity, who must talk all day to a machine that demands declarations, hunkers down into a low-grade annoyance. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-ullman/the-programmer-who-needs-clarity-who-must-talk-all-day-to-a-machine/) [Ellen Ullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-ullman/) > [“What one programmer can do in one month, two programmers can do in two months.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-brooks/what-one-programmer-can-do-in-one-month-two-programmers-can-do-in-two/) [Fred Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-brooks/) > [“Programmers are isolated. They sit in their cubicle; they don't think about the larger picture. To my mind, a programmer is not an engineer,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-greenspun/programmers-are-isolated-they-sit-in-their-cubicle-they-don-t-think/) [Philip Greenspun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-greenspun/) > [Programmer time is expensive; conserve it in preference to machine time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-s-raymond/programmer-time-is-expensive-conserve-it-in-preference-to-machine-time/) [Eric S. Raymond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-s-raymond/) > [Most programming languages contain good parts and bad parts. 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Corbato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-j-corbato/) > [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/) > [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/) > [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/) ## More by Richard Stallman > [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/) > [I consider that the Golden Rule requires that if I like a program I must share it with other people who like it. Software…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/i-consider-that-the-golden-rule-requires-that-if-i-like-a-program-i/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Think 'free speech,' not 'free beer.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/think-free-speech-not-free-beer/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If you can find a host for me that has a friendly parrot, I will be very very glad… DON'T buy a parrot figuring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/if-you-can-find-a-host-for-me-that-has-a-friendly-parrot-i-will-be/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Sharing is good, and with digital technology, sharing is easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/sharing-is-good-and-with-digital-technology-sharing-is-easy/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In the US, you even lose legal rights if you store your data in a company's machines instead of your own. 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The programmers in the old MIT free software community of the 60s and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/a-hacker-is-someone-who-enjoys-playful-cleverness-not-necessarily/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [When I launched the development of the GNU system, I explicitly said the purpose of developing this system is so we can use our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/when-i-launched-the-development-of-the-gnu-system-i-explicitly-said/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Writing non-free software is not an ethically legitimate activity, so if people who do this run into trouble, that's good! All businesses based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/writing-non-free-software-is-not-an-ethically-legitimate-activity-so/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [In essence, Chrome OS is the GNU/Linux operating system. However, it is delivered without the usual applications, and rigged up to impede and discourage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/in-essence-chrome-os-is-the-gnu-linux-operating-system-however-it-is/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [If in my lifetime the problem of non-free software is solved, I could perhaps relax and write software again. 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And proprietary…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/the-idea-of-free-software-is-that-users-of-computing-deserve-freedom/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) > [Android is a major step towards an ethical, user-controlled, free-software portable phone, but there is a long way to go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/android-is-a-major-step-towards-an-ethical-user-controlled-free/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) [Explore all 117 Richard Stallman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## More Breathing quotes > [A thing of beauty is a joy for ever;It's loveliness increase;it will never pass into nothingness;but still will keep a bower quiet for us,and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-keats/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-for-ever-it-s-loveliness-increase-it-will/) [John Keats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-keats/) > [“As long as we’re breathing, we have a chance to start over and build a stable future.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-ha-campbell/as-long-as-we-re-breathing-we-have-a-chance-to-start-over-and-build-a/) [Kim Ha Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-ha-campbell/) > [People don't think much about breathing. Of all the things we take for granted, breathing has to be number one - even though it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/people-don-t-think-much-about-breathing-of-all-the-things-we-take-for/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [Aging is like enlightenment at gunpoint. Before I had cancer, I lived my life for my art. After I had cancer, I lived my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-halprin/aging-is-like-enlightenment-at-gunpoint-before-i-had-cancer-i-lived/) [Anna Halprin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-halprin/) > [I wish," Jared began, and stopped, breathing in. "Do you remember how you used to believe I wasn't real? Sometimes I wish that was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/i-wish-jared-began-and-stopped-breathing-in-do-you-remember-how-you/) [Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/) > [The still affection of the heart Became an outward breathing type, That into stillness past again, And left a want unknown before; Although the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-lord-tennyson/the-still-affection-of-the-heart-became-an-outward-breathing-type/) [Alfred Lord Tennyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-lord-tennyson/) > [Breathing is give(carbon dioxide) and take(oxygen), such is life, find balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-williams/breathing-is-give-carbon-dioxide-and-take-oxygen-such-is-life-find/) Marcel Williams > [I'll probably be writing as long as I'm breathing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kris-kristofferson/i-ll-probably-be-writing-as-long-as-i-m-breathing/) [Kris Kristofferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kris-kristofferson/) > [For me writing is like breathing. I could not live without breathing and I could not live without writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-neruda/for-me-writing-is-like-breathing-i-could-not-live-without-breathing/) [Pablo Neruda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-neruda/) > [I’m in, Cat. I’d never leave you. Especially when you’ve got death breathing down your neck.” “Very funny,” I retorted, since Bones was inches…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-in-cat-i-d-never-leave-you-especially-when-you-ve-got-death/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [He’d moved toward me again. 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It would have been effortless for us — comfortable, easy as breathing. I was the natural path your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephenie-meyer/i-m-exactly-right-for-you-bella-it-would-have-been-effortless-for-us/) [Stephenie Meyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephenie-meyer/) [Browse all 1,666 Breathing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Copying all or parts of a program is as natural to a programmer as breathing, and as productive. 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