--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here is a language so far ahead of its…" description: "\"Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but also on nearly all its successors.\" — Tony Hoare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png" --- # Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was… ![“Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but also on nearly all its successors.” quote by Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png) > “Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but also on nearly all its successors.” [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The language was so advanced it outperformed both earlier and later languages. **In simple terms:** A language far ahead of its time. Key Takeaway Recognize and adopt pioneering technologies early. Themes innovation technology progress Mood optimistic analytical Type observational inspirational When to use this quote - software development - academic research - technology adoption Key Concepts software engineering language design Questions to Reflect On - What criteria define a language as ahead of its time? - How can we identify such languages early? A Different Perspective Future languages may still surpass it, limiting its longevity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Programming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/programming/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [ \[on Richard Wagner\] A beautiful sunset that was mistaken for a dawn. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-debussy/on-richard-wagner-a-beautiful-sunset-that-was-mistaken-for-a-dawn/) [Claude Debussy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-debussy/) > [I am now old enough to make common cause with my predecessors against my successors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/i-am-now-old-enough-to-make-common-cause-with-my-predecessors-against/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [In science men have learned consciously to subordinate themselves to a common purpose without losing the individuality of their achievements. Each one knows that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-desmond-bernal/in-science-men-have-learned-consciously-to-subordinate-themselves-to/) [John Desmond Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-desmond-bernal/) > [In science the successors stand upon the shoulders of their predecessors; where one man of supreme genius has invented a method, a thousand lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/in-science-the-successors-stand-upon-the-shoulders-of-their/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [President Obama, don't you think you should follow in the footsteps of your predecessor? Remember, President George W. Bush? He stayed out of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hannity/president-obama-don-t-you-think-you-should-follow-in-the-footsteps-of/) [Sean Hannity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hannity/) > [Each generation exercises power over its successors: and each, in so far as it modifies the environment bequeathed to it and rebels against tradition,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/each-generation-exercises-power-over-its-successors-and-each-in-so-2/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [High culture is nothing but a child of that European perversion called history, the obsession we have with going forward, with considering the sequence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/high-culture-is-nothing-but-a-child-of-that-european-perversion-2/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) > [We, today, stand on the shoulders of our predecessors who have gone before us. We, as their successors, must catch the torch of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-e-mays/we-today-stand-on-the-shoulders-of-our-predecessors-who-have-gone/) [Benjamin E. Mays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-e-mays/) > [All recognized famous inventors had capable predecessors and successors and made their improvements at a time when society was capable of using their product.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jared-diamond/all-recognized-famous-inventors-had-capable-predecessors-and/) [Jared Diamond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jared-diamond/) > [“You speak the language far better than”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-scarrow/you-speak-the-language-far-better-than/) [Simon Scarrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-scarrow/) > [Go back so far there is another language go back far enough the language is no longer personal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrienne-rich/go-back-so-far-there-is-another-language-go-back-far-enough-the/) [Adrienne Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrienne-rich/) > [Everyone, left to his own devices, forms an idea about what goes on in language which is very far from the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ferdinand-de-saussure/everyone-left-to-his-own-devices-forms-an-idea-about-what-goes-on-in/) [Ferdinand de Saussure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ferdinand-de-saussure/) > [Never underestimate the value of knowing another's language. It can be far more powerful than swords and arrows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melina-marchetta/never-underestimate-the-value-of-knowing-another-s-language-it-can-be/) [Melina Marchetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melina-marchetta/) > [I could give you example after example, of where the language of the far Right, driven by Islamophobia, has now become institutionalised in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/humza-yousaf/i-could-give-you-example-after-example-of-where-the-language-of-the/) [Humza Yousaf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/humza-yousaf/) > [I don't want to look too far ahead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/i-don-t-want-to-look-too-far-ahead/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) ## More by Tony Hoare > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [The job of formal methods is to elucidate the assumptions upon which formal correctness depends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/the-job-of-formal-methods-is-to-elucidate-the-assumptions-upon-which/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [A single human brain has about a hundred million nerve cells... and a computer program that throws light on the mind/brain problem will have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/a-single-human-brain-has-about-a-hundred-million-nerve-cells-and-a/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [I don't know what the language of the year 2000 will look like, but I know it will be called Fortran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/i-don-t-know-what-the-language-of-the-year-2000-will-look-like-but-i/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [You cannot teach beginners top-down programming, because they don't know which end is up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/you-cannot-teach-beginners-top-down-programming-because-they-don-t/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [An ultimate joint challenge for the biological and the computational sciences is the understanding of the mechanisms of the human brain, and its relationship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/an-ultimate-joint-challenge-for-the-biological-and-the-computational/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [The unavoidable price of reliability is simplicity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/the-unavoidable-price-of-reliability-is-simplicity/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [ What is the central core of the subject \[computer science\]? What is it that distinguishes it from the separate subjects with which it is… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/what-is-the-central-core-of-the-subject-computer-science-what-is-it/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [The real value of tests is not that they detect bugs in the code but that they detect inadequacies in the methods, concentration, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/the-real-value-of-tests-is-not-that-they-detect-bugs-in-the-code-but/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [Inside every large program is a small program struggling to get out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/inside-every-large-program-is-a-small-program-struggling-to-get-out/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [I call it my billion-dollar mistake. It was the invention of the null reference in 1965.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/i-call-it-my-billion-dollar-mistake-it-was-the-invention-of-the-null/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [It is easy to predict that some of the discoveries of research directed towards Grand Challenges - but only the most unexpected ones, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/it-is-easy-to-predict-that-some-of-the-discoveries-of-research/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [There are two methods in software design. One is to make the program so simple, there are obviously no errors. The other is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/there-are-two-methods-in-software-design-one-is-to-make-the-program/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [Some problems are better evaded than solved.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/some-problems-are-better-evaded-than-solved/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“There are two ways of constructing a piece of software: One is to make it so simple that there are obviously no errors, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/there-are-two-ways-of-constructing-a-piece-of-software-one-is-to-make/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) [Explore all 22 Tony Hoare quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) ## More Improvement quotes > [Create an environment for people to fail, to learn, and to grow. Their creativity and productivity will increase.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/create-an-environment-for-people-to-fail-to-learn-and-to-grow-their/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The average condition of the people improving or deteriorating, depends upon whether population is advancing faster than improvement, or improvement than population.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-stuart-mill/the-average-condition-of-the-people-improving-or-deteriorating/) [John Stuart Mill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-stuart-mill/) > [The invention of gunpowder and the constant improvement of firearms are enough in themselves to show that the advance of civilization has done nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-von-clausewitz/the-invention-of-gunpowder-and-the-constant-improvement-of-firearms/) [Carl von Clausewitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-von-clausewitz/) > [We're focused on providing innovations in software, driving the continuous improvement for a much better experience, and there's a lot going on here that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-gates/we-re-focused-on-providing-innovations-in-software-driving-the/) [Bill Gates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-gates/) > [If you only know something one way, then you don't really know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-arndt/if-you-only-know-something-one-way-then-you-don-t-really-know-it/) [Michael Arndt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-arndt/) > [Research is an organized method of trying to find out what you are going to do after you cannot do what you are doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kettering/research-is-an-organized-method-of-trying-to-find-out-what-you-are/) [Charles Kettering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kettering/) > [Business is always a struggle. There are always obstacles and competitors. There is never an open road, except the wide road that leads to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-kirubi/business-is-always-a-struggle-there-are-always-obstacles-and/) Chris Kirubi > [Decisions decide destiny, there is no action without decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-robbins/decisions-decide-destiny-there-is-no-action-without-decision/) [Tony Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-robbins/) > [Continuous Improvement is taking control of how your company's money is being put to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/continuous-improvement-is-taking-control-of-how-your-company-s-money/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Every step by which an individual substitutes concerted action for isolated action results in an immediate and recognizable improvement in his conditions. The advantages…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ludwig-von-mises/every-step-by-which-an-individual-substitutes-concerted-action-for/) [Ludwig von Mises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ludwig-von-mises/) > [The Qur'an does not ask for human perfection, but rather asks that we persevere in striving for self-improvement and that we never become complacent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-lang/the-qur-an-does-not-ask-for-human-perfection-but-rather-asks-that-we/) [Jeffrey Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-lang/) > [“A responsible woman doesn’t see opportunities and needs and look the other way pretending not to see them rather she gets to work to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agu-jaachynma-n-e/a-responsible-woman-doesn-t-see-opportunities-and-needs-and-look-the/) [Agu Jaachynma N.E](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agu-jaachynma-n-e/) > [A most important lesson taught by nature. Only after destruction there is construction. Only on letting go will new opportunities crop up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-most-important-lesson-taught-by-nature-only-after-destruction-there/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By questioning all the aspects of our business, we continuously inject improvement and innovation into our culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-dell/by-questioning-all-the-aspects-of-our-business-we-continuously-inject/) [Michael Dell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-dell/) > [I don't feel like congratulating myself, because I know there's still a lot of room for improvement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-bronze/i-don-t-feel-like-congratulating-myself-because-i-know-there-s-still/) [Lucy Bronze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-bronze/) [Browse all 2,074 Improvement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but also on nearly all its successors.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tony Hoare" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-time-that-it-was-not-only-an/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Improvement" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-time-that-it-was-not-only-an/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/tony-hoare-25834_improvement_here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-t_1703246.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Here is a language so far ahead of its time, that it was not only an improvement on its predecessors, but…” — Tony Hoare", "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": "Tony Hoare", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Here is a language so far...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-time-that-it-was-not-only-an/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/here-is-a-language-so-far-ahead-of-its-time-that-it-was-not-only-an/#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 } } ] } ```