--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: EMACS could not have been reached by a…" description: "\"EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful design, because such processes arrive only at goals which are visible at the outset, and whos..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/richard-stallman-4048_appreciated_emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-p_256041.png" --- # EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful… ![“EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful design, because such processes arrive only at goals which are visible at the outset, and whose desirability is established on the bottom line at the outset. Neither I nor anyone else visualized an extensible editor until I had made one, nor…” quote by Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/richard-stallman-4048_appreciated_emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-p_256041.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/richard-stallman-4048_appreciated_emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-p_256041.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ea/richard-stallman-4048_appreciated_emacs-could-not-have-been-reached-by-a-p_256041.png) > “EMACS could not have been reached by a process of careful design, because such processes arrive only at goals which are visible at the outset, and whose desirability is established on the bottom line at the outset. Neither I nor anyone else visualized an extensible editor until I had made one, nor appreciated its value until he had experienced it. EMACS exists because I felt free to make individually useful small improvements on a path whose end was not in sight.” [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. EMACS evolved through incremental, user‑driven improvements rather than top‑down design. **In simple terms:** Progress comes from small, personal tweaks. Key Takeaway Iterate freely, let needs guide development. Themes software development open source incremental design user empowerment Mood pragmatic reflective Type technical inspirational When to use this quote - personal projects - open‑source contributions - tool customization - learning programming - team workflows Key Concepts emacs extensibility design philosophy innovation Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance vision with flexibility? - When should you set a concrete endpoint? A Different Perspective Lack of clear goals can cause drift. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Appreciated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/appreciated/) [Bottom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom/) [Bottom line](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bottom-line/) [Careful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/careful/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Desirability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/desirability/) [Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/editors/) [Emacs Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emacs-exists-2535454/) [Emacs Reached](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emacs-reached-2535456/) [Ends](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ends/) [Experienced Emacs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experienced-emacs-2535455/) [Extensible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extensible-2262305/) [Extensible Editor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/extensible-editor-2535457/) [Felt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/felt/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Has beens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/has-beens/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Lines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lines/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Sight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sight/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) [Values](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/values/) [Visible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visible/) ## Related quotes > [The fact that used cars is our largest category is a good example. 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I was at my fattest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vidya-balan/sexuality-desirability-has-nothing-to-do-with-body-type-it-has-to-do/) [Vidya Balan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vidya-balan/) > [“Bottom dogs have to be persuaded of the desirability of inequality.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-donaldson/bottom-dogs-have-to-be-persuaded-of-the-desirability-of-inequality/) [william donaldson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-donaldson/) > [Love is free; it does not depend on the desirability of its object, but loves for love's sake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/love-is-free-it-does-not-depend-on-the-desirability-of-its-object-but/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I think a certain kind of sexism is so matter-of-fact, and has been for so long, that young women feel less valuable or second-tier…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cris-mazza/i-think-a-certain-kind-of-sexism-is-so-matter-of-fact-and-has-been/) [Cris Mazza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cris-mazza/) > [I think it is a combination of looks, aura, success, the energies that one gives out, the person you are and the person you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-rampal/i-think-it-is-a-combination-of-looks-aura-success-the-energies-that/) [Arjun Rampal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-rampal/) > [I would be lying if I said I'm not flattered being voted as the 'Time's' Most Desirable Man of 2012. Frankly, I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arjun-rampal/i-would-be-lying-if-i-said-i-m-not-flattered-being-voted-as-the-time/) [Arjun Rampal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arjun-rampal/) > [Well I believe in the desirability of an optimal society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/well-i-believe-in-the-desirability-of-an-optimal-society/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Women's greater social desirability and beauty power afford opportunities for creating both measurable and invisible income. While the opportunities are available to almost all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-farrell/women-s-greater-social-desirability-and-beauty-power-afford/) [Warren Farrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-farrell/) > [“If you can't get a quality man, then you're probably not in touch with your feminine side. Remember, your femininity has a divine mandate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebo-grand/if-you-can-t-get-a-quality-man-then-you-re-probably-not-in-touch-with/) [Lebo Grand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebo-grand/) > [I do honestly and sincerely believe in the necessity or desirability of Hindu-Muslim unity. I am also fully prepared to trust the Muslim leaders.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lala-lajpat-rai/i-do-honestly-and-sincerely-believe-in-the-necessity-or-desirability/) [Lala Lajpat Rai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lala-lajpat-rai/) > [As the tall dark and handsome male star, Carey Grant always stands for male beauty and desirability, whether in a 30s screwball, a 40s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-a-cohen/as-the-tall-dark-and-handsome-male-star-carey-grant-always-stands-for/) [Steven A. Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-a-cohen/) > [Maybe that will happen with other countries as well. 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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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We have choices…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-stallman/without-absolute-certainty-what-do-we-do-we-do-the-best-we-can/) [Richard Stallman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) [Explore all 117 Richard Stallman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-stallman/) ## More Appreciated quotes > [Art is art when it is appreciated by someone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isao-tomita/art-is-art-when-it-is-appreciated-by-someone/) [Isao Tomita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isao-tomita/) > [Relish love in your old age! Aged love is like aged wine; it becomes more satisfying, more refreshing, more valuable, more appreciated and more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/relish-love-in-your-old-age-aged-love-is-like-aged-wine-it-becomes/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [For many of us, work is the one place where we feel appreciated. The things that we long to experience at home - pride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arlie-russell-hochschild/for-many-of-us-work-is-the-one-place-where-we-feel-appreciated-the/) [Arlie Russell Hochschild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arlie-russell-hochschild/) > [You know, your sarcasm isn’t appreciated right now. I’ve been drugged, beaten, nearly raped, saved, drugged again, hijacked, and now threatened by you. Tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/you-know-your-sarcasm-isn-t-appreciated-right-now-i-ve-been-drugged/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [The Spanish never appreciated me like the British.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seve-ballesteros/the-spanish-never-appreciated-me-like-the-british/) [Seve Ballesteros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seve-ballesteros/) > [What I appreciated was the fact that the script delved into how Australians were - and still are - condescended to by the English.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-rush/what-i-appreciated-was-the-fact-that-the-script-delved-into-how/) [Geoffrey Rush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-rush/) > [For once I feel appreciated and not someone to show off constantly smiling and knowing how amazing you are, I just want make you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/for-once-i-feel-appreciated-and-not-someone-to-show-off-constantly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I sometimes find that my family's emphasis on stories, characters, and art that appeals directly to children rather than over their heads to adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-sometimes-find-that-my-family-s-emphasis-on-stories-characters-and/) [Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/) > [This element of surprise or mystery - the detective element as it is sometimes rather emptily called - is of great importance in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-m-forster/this-element-of-surprise-or-mystery-the-detective-element-as-it-is/) [E. 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