--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The pathology of setting a deadline to…" description: "\"The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the schedule will be missed.\" — Tom DeMarco" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png" --- # The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest… ![“The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the schedule will be missed.” quote by Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png) > “The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the schedule will be missed.” [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Setting the earliest possible deadline creates a self‑fulfilling prophecy of failure. **In simple terms:** Early deadlines often cause missed schedules. Key Takeaway Set realistic timelines. Themes project management deadlines planning risk Mood cautious pragmatic Type professional advisory When to use this quote - software development - construction projects - event planning Key Concepts schedule optimism psychology of deadlines resource allocation Questions to Reflect On - How to balance urgency with feasibility? - What buffers improve schedule reliability? A Different Perspective Pressure can reduce quality and morale. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) [Deadline Earliest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline-earliest-5551859/) [Guarantees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantees/) [Guarantees Schedule](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guarantees-schedule-5551862/) [Pathology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pathology/) [Schedule Missed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schedule-missed-5551861/) [Schedules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/schedules/) [Setting Deadline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/setting-deadline-5551860/) ## Related quotes > [We know nothing of the principle of health, the positive of which pathology is the negative, except from observation and experience. And nothing but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-nightingale/we-know-nothing-of-the-principle-of-health-the-positive-of-which/) [Florence Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-nightingale/) > [When I first raised the issue of the so-called Islamic State at the Munich Security Conference in February, speaking about its economy, its flexibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashraf-ghani/when-i-first-raised-the-issue-of-the-so-called-islamic-state-at-the/) [Ashraf Ghani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashraf-ghani/) > [The sick individual finds himself at home with all other similarly sick individuals. The whole culture is geared to this kind of pathology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erich-fromm/the-sick-individual-finds-himself-at-home-with-all-other-similarly/) [Erich Fromm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erich-fromm/) > [Growing older is mainly an ordeal of the imagination-a moral disease, a social pathology...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-sontag/growing-older-is-mainly-an-ordeal-of-the-imagination-a-moral-disease/) [Susan Sontag](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-sontag/) > [Liberals have been driven to the desperate expedient of attributing . . .social pathology in today's ghettos to 'a legacy of slavery' even though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/liberals-have-been-driven-to-the-desperate-expedient-of-attributing/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [The shock of unemployment becomes a pathology in its own right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-farrar-capon/the-shock-of-unemployment-becomes-a-pathology-in-its-own-right/) [Robert Farrar Capon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-farrar-capon/) > [“The evolved preference for sugary and fatty foods (a functional mechanism) may lead to obesity because of a mismatch with modern nutrition (a maladaptive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-del-giudice/the-evolved-preference-for-sugary-and-fatty-foods-a-functional/) [Marco del Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-del-giudice/) > [My nutritionist read my pathology report and said, "There's only one way you can beat your cancer." "What's that?" "You have to find out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathy-acker/my-nutritionist-read-my-pathology-report-and-said-there-s-only-one/) [Kathy Acker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathy-acker/) > [The attack on youth is a national pathology, unwarranted by fact, smokescreen for the failure of adulthood and its leadership to confront larger predicaments.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-a-males/the-attack-on-youth-is-a-national-pathology-unwarranted-by-fact/) [Mike A. Males](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-a-males/) > [As the many male victims of rape in the regime's disgusting jails can testify, this state-run pathology of sexual repression and sexual sadism is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/as-the-many-male-victims-of-rape-in-the-regime-s-disgusting-jails-can/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [“As a rule, sexually selected traits tend to be more condition-dependent --and thus more vulnerable to dysfunctions-- than other phenotypes. This contributes to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-del-giudice/as-a-rule-sexually-selected-traits-tend-to-be-more-condition/) [Marco del Giudice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-del-giudice/) > [Objection, evasion, joyous distrust, and love of irony are signs of health; everything absolute belongs to pathology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/objection-evasion-joyous-distrust-and-love-of-irony-are-signs-of/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [You cannot separate passion from pathology any more than you can separate a person's spirit from his body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-selzer/you-cannot-separate-passion-from-pathology-any-more-than-you-can/) [Richard Selzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-selzer/) > [“Memory research that supports a non-pathologizing, coherence-based model of symptom production in the wide range of cases where symptoms are generated by emotional memory.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-ecker/memory-research-that-supports-a-non-pathologizing-coherence-based/) [Bruce Ecker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-ecker/) > [Neither a pathology nor an index as such of moral default, stupidity is nonetheless linked to the most dangerous failures of human endeavor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/avital-ronell/neither-a-pathology-nor-an-index-as-such-of-moral-default-stupidity/) [Avital Ronell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/avital-ronell/) ## More by Tom DeMarco > [“More important than any gimmick you introduce is a change in attitude. People must learn that it’s okay sometimes not to answer their phones,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/more-important-than-any-gimmick-you-introduce-is-a-change-in-attitude/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“We have become so obsessed with getting rid of people who are burdened with the characterization overhead that we have ended up with organizations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/we-have-become-so-obsessed-with-getting-rid-of-people-who-are/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [The more you focus on control, the more likely you're working on a project that's striving to deliver something of relatively minor value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-more-you-focus-on-control-the-more-likely-you-re-working-on-a/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Product quality has almost nothing to do with defects or their lack.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/product-quality-has-almost-nothing-to-do-with-defects-or-their-lack/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Internal competition has the direct effect of making coaching difficult or impossible.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/internal-competition-has-the-direct-effect-of-making-coaching/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“People under time pressure don’t work better—they just work faster.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/people-under-time-pressure-don-t-work-better-they-just-work-faster/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The most obvious defensive management ploys are prescriptive Methodologies (“My people are too dumb to build systems without them” ) and technical interference by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-most-obvious-defensive-management-ploys-are-prescriptive/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“The need for uniformity is a sign of insecurity on the part of management. Strong managers don’t care when team members cut their hair…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-need-for-uniformity-is-a-sign-of-insecurity-on-the-part-of/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“If you’ve got decent people under you, there is probably nothing you can do to improve their chances of success more dramatically than to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-ve-got-decent-people-under-you-there-is-probably-nothing-you/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [ “While this \[10 to 1\] productivity differential among programmers is understandable, there is also a 10 to 1 difference in productivity among software organizations” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/while-this-10-to-1-productivity-differential-among-programmers-is/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Training is practice doing a new task much more slowly than an expert would do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/training-is-practice-doing-a-new-task-much-more-slowly-than-an-expert/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [If you find yourself concentrating on the technology rather than the sociology, you're like the vaudeville character who loses his keys on a dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/if-you-find-yourself-concentrating-on-the-technology-rather-than-the/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“in the best organizations, the short term is not the only thing that matters. What matters more is being best. And that’s a long-term…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/in-the-best-organizations-the-short-term-is-not-the-only-thing-that/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [“Although your staff may be exposed to the message “work longer and harder” while they’re at the office, they’re getting a very different message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/although-your-staff-may-be-exposed-to-the-message-work-longer-and/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) > [Computer system analysis is like child-rearing; you can do grievous damage, but you cannot ensure success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/computer-system-analysis-is-like-child-rearing-you-can-do-grievous/) [Tom DeMarco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) [Explore all 56 Tom DeMarco quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/) ## More Deadline quotes > [Having small children and being an investigative reporter would seem like a difficult mix, but it worked well for me. 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They say you shouldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adriana-trigiani/i-always-think-the-most-important-thing-for-a-writer-is-a-deadline/) [Adriana Trigiani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adriana-trigiani/) > [“Pakiramdam ko e andami kong naiisip na dehins magawa dahil alang deadline. Nasanay ata ko sa school tsaka sa trabaho na lahat may deadline.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manix-abrera/pakiramdam-ko-e-andami-kong-naiisip-na-dehins-magawa-dahil-alang/) [Manix Abrera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manix-abrera/) > [Everybody in the real world will agree - the moment a project is behind deadline, quality assurance tends to go out the window.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-cox/everybody-in-the-real-world-will-agree-the-moment-a-project-is-behind/) [Alan Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-cox/) > [Nero wasn't worried at all when he heard the utterance of the Delphic Oracle: "Beware the age of seventy-three." Plenty of time to enjoy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-p-cavafy/nero-wasn-t-worried-at-all-when-he-heard-the-utterance-of-the-delphic/) [C.P. Cavafy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-p-cavafy/) > [Nothing focuses attention like a real deadline. If you are in a field where life and death, or having a job or not having…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry/nothing-focuses-attention-like-a-real-deadline-if-you-are-in-a-field/) [John Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry/) > [“There is one surefire way to produce bad writing: submit to the slavery of a deadline.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flavia-id/there-is-one-surefire-way-to-produce-bad-writing-submit-to-the/) [Flavia Idà](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flavia-id/) > [I think setting goals is critical; having deadlines for ourselves- how much by when? Too many people have these big dreams where they want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-canfield/i-think-setting-goals-is-critical-having-deadlines-for-ourselves-how/) [Jack Canfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-canfield/) > [Publishing is, by its nature, about deadlines, and deadlines are toxic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-karon/publishing-is-by-its-nature-about-deadlines-and-deadlines-are-toxic/) [Jan Karon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-karon/) > [There are no unrealistic goals, only unrealistic deadlines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/there-are-no-unrealistic-goals-only-unrealistic-deadlines/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [Without deadlines and restrictions I just tend to become preoccupied with other things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/without-deadlines-and-restrictions-i-just-tend-to-become-preoccupied/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [Most lawsuits against the EPA historically have come either because of the agency's lack of regard for a statute or because the EPA failed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-pruitt/most-lawsuits-against-the-epa-historically-have-come-either-because/) [Scott Pruitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-pruitt/) > [“The deadline is at midnight in America; dawn, 5 A.M., in England, and 8:00 A.M., early morning, in Iraq. The Americans tie yellow ribbons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betool-khedairi/the-deadline-is-at-midnight-in-america-dawn-5-a-m-in-england-and-8-00/) [Betool Khedairi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betool-khedairi/) [Browse all 405 Deadline quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deadline/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the schedule will be missed.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom DeMarco" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-the-earliest-articulable-date/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Deadline" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-the-earliest-articulable-date/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d3a/tom-demarco-12134_deadline_the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-t_701386.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The pathology of setting a deadline to the earliest articulable date essentially guarantees that the…” — Tom DeMarco", "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": "Tom DeMarco", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-demarco/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The pathology of setting a deadline...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-the-earliest-articulable-date/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-demarco/the-pathology-of-setting-a-deadline-to-the-earliest-articulable-date/#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 } } ] } ```