--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Normal people... believe that if it ain't…" description: "\"Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.\" — Scott ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/scott-adams-666_believe_normal-people-believe-that-if-it-ain-t-b_1415855.jpg" --- # Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix… ![“Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.” quote by Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/scott-adams-666_believe_normal-people-believe-that-if-it-ain-t-b_1415855.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/scott-adams-666_believe_normal-people-believe-that-if-it-ain-t-b_1415855.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bb9/scott-adams-666_believe_normal-people-believe-that-if-it-ain-t-b_1415855.jpg) > “Normal people... believe that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Engineers believe that if it ain't broke, it doesn't have enough features yet.” [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Engineers view broken systems as opportunities for new features, not just fixes. **In simple terms:** Engineers seek to add features to flawed things. Key Takeaway Embrace improvement mindset. Themes engineering innovation problem solving Mood analytical practical Type technical business When to use this quote - software development - product design - process optimization Key Concepts feature creep continuous improvement design thinking Questions to Reflect On - When is adding a feature counterproductive? - How to balance fixing vs. enhancing? A Different Perspective Feature overload can reduce usability. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Broke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/broke/) [Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers/) [Engineers Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineers-believe-5001676/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Features](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/features/) [Fix Engineers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fix-engineers-5001677/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-believe/) ## Related quotes > [To the engineer, all matter in the universe can be placed into one of two categories: (1) things that need to be fixed, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/to-the-engineer-all-matter-in-the-universe-can-be-placed-into-one-of-2/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [The biggest challenge is self-financing 100% of everything. Recording costs, studio time, engineer fees, travel costs are all a part of the creation process.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mya/the-biggest-challenge-is-self-financing-100-of-everything-recording/) [Mya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mya/) > [Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/engineers-like-to-solve-problems-if-there-are-no-problems-handily/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“For humans, honesty is a matter of degree. Engineers are always honest in matters of technology and human relationships. That's why it's a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/for-humans-honesty-is-a-matter-of-degree-engineers-are-always-honest/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I never knew what an engineer did for a living when I was a kid. I still don't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/i-never-knew-what-an-engineer-did-for-a-living-when-i-was-a-kid-i/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [I don't have to pad my resume. Normal people are astounded by my resume, because normal people never let their dreams get beyond their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-layfield/i-don-t-have-to-pad-my-resume-normal-people-are-astounded-by-my/) [John Layfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-layfield/) > [“Most psychologists believe that nature—genetics—accounts for about half of the reason why we tend to act the way we do. 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Here is the answer to this question given by a philosopher-psychiatrist, Dr.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/how-have-individuals-been-affected-by-the-technological-advances-of/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [“Carol, I thought you didn't liked playing with the minds of normal people.” “Yes, but the press don't count as normal.” “She’s got you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-zakour/carol-i-thought-you-didn-t-liked-playing-with-the-minds-of-normal/) [John Zakour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-zakour/) > [The only normal people you know are the ones you dont know very well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-normal-people-you-know-are-the-ones-you-dont-know-very-well/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Most conservatives - by which I mean normal people - have little conception of the aggressive and revolutionary force that confronts them. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-bethell/most-conservatives-by-which-i-mean-normal-people-have-little/) [Tom Bethell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-bethell/) ## More by Scott Adams > [The creator of the universe works in mysterious ways. But he uses a base ten counting system and likes round numbers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-creator-of-the-universe-works-in-mysterious-ways-but-he-uses-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If you think your odds of solving your problem are bad, don’t rule out the possibility that what is really happening is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-think-your-odds-of-solving-your-problem-are-bad-don-t-rule-out/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [Frankly, I’m suspicious of anyone who has a strong opinion on a complicated issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/frankly-i-m-suspicious-of-anyone-who-has-a-strong-opinion-on-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“If you want success, figure out the price, then pay it. 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Small successes can grow into big ones, but failures rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/what-you-rarely-see-is-a-stillborn-failure-that-transmogrifies-into-a/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“Because everything you perceive is a metaphor for something your brain is not equipped to fully understand. God is as real as the clothes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/because-everything-you-perceive-is-a-metaphor-for-something-your/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [“Capitalism is rotten at every level, and yet it adds up to something extraordinarily useful for society over time. The paradox of capitalism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/capitalism-is-rotten-at-every-level-and-yet-it-adds-up-to-something/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [The best part about being my age is in knowing how my life worked out. Sure, there's a lot more living to go, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/the-best-part-about-being-my-age-is-in-knowing-how-my-life-worked-out/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [If you see voters as rational, you'll be a terrible politician. People are not wired to be rational. Our brains simply evolved to keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/if-you-see-voters-as-rational-you-ll-be-a-terrible-politician-people/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) > [E-books are impervious to analogy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-adams/e-books-are-impervious-to-analogy/) [Scott Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) [Explore all 418 Scott Adams quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-adams/) ## More Believe quotes > [I actually think acting is a form of self-hypnosis. You have to be hyper, hyper aware of what's going on around you. 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He's going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-osteen/resist-discouragement-by-speaking-his-word-over-your-future-keep/) [Joel Osteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-osteen/) > [I can't believe that I'm sitting in meetings with Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, and Annette Bening. I want to take on that responsibility to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-ross-williams/i-can-t-believe-that-i-m-sitting-in-meetings-with-steven-spielberg/) [Roger Ross Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-ross-williams/) > [There is no such word as item girl in the dictionary. People have created this word and I don't believe that I am an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shefali-zariwala/there-is-no-such-word-as-item-girl-in-the-dictionary-people-have/) [Shefali Zariwala](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shefali-zariwala/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [I don't really like too much credit. I know nobody's going to believe this, but I'd rather be able to score goals and nobody…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bradley-wright-phillips/i-don-t-really-like-too-much-credit-i-know-nobody-s-going-to-believe/) [Bradley Wright-Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bradley-wright-phillips/) > [“What I have a problem with is not so much religion or god, but faith. When you say you believe something in your heart…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penn-jillette/what-i-have-a-problem-with-is-not-so-much-religion-or-god-but-faith/) [Penn Jillette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penn-jillette/) > [Bush reiterated his stand to conservatives opposing his decision on stem cell research. He said today he believes life begins at conception and ends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-leno/bush-reiterated-his-stand-to-conservatives-opposing-his-decision-on/) [Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/) > [Never underestimate the power of the human mind to believe what it wants to believe, no matter the conflicting evidence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-herbert/never-underestimate-the-power-of-the-human-mind-to-believe-what-it/) [Brian Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-herbert/) > [To believe in love, to be ready to give up anything for it, to be willing to risk your life for it, is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonardo-dicaprio/to-believe-in-love-to-be-ready-to-give-up-anything-for-it-to-be/) [Leonardo DiCaprio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonardo-dicaprio/) > [That's why I don't generally talk about endorsements because I don't believe we have to tell people who to vote for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-iii/that-s-why-i-don-t-generally-talk-about-endorsements-because-i-don-t/) [Martin Luther King III](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-iii/) > [Mankind have been slow to believe that order reigns in the universe-that the world is a cosmos and a chaos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-garfield/mankind-have-been-slow-to-believe-that-order-reigns-in-the-universe/) [James A. 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