--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actually, I didn't make the claim that…" description: "\"Actually, I didn't make the claim that Ruby follows the principle of least surprise. Someone felt the design of Ruby follows that philosophy, so they s..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b28/yukihiro-matsumoto-26999_philosophy_actually-i-didn-t-make-the-claim-that-ru_1432000.png" --- # Actually, I didn't make the claim that Ruby follows the… ![“Actually, I didn't make the claim that Ruby follows the principle of least surprise. Someone felt the design of Ruby follows that philosophy, so they started saying that. I didn't bring that up, actually.” quote by Yukihiro Matsumoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b28/yukihiro-matsumoto-26999_philosophy_actually-i-didn-t-make-the-claim-that-ru_1432000.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b28/yukihiro-matsumoto-26999_philosophy_actually-i-didn-t-make-the-claim-that-ru_1432000.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b28/yukihiro-matsumoto-26999_philosophy_actually-i-didn-t-make-the-claim-that-ru_1432000.png) > “Actually, I didn't make the claim that Ruby follows the principle of least surprise. Someone felt the design of Ruby follows that philosophy, so they started saying that. I didn't bring that up, actually.” [Yukihiro Matsumoto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yukihiro-matsumoto/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Clarifies that the “principle of least surprise” was attributed to Ruby by others, not his own claim. **In simple terms:** Ruby’s design is often described as unsurprising, but he didn’t assert that. Key Takeaway Recognize how community narratives can shape a language’s reputation. Themes programming perception communication Mood reflective analytical Type explanatory clarifying When to use this quote - software development meetings - technical blog posts - language adoption discussions Key Concepts language design community myth authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How do you verify the source of a claim? - What impact does a myth have on language adoption? A Different Perspective May overlook genuine design goals in favor of popular myths. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) ## Related quotes > [“The Principle of Least Surprise" describes a general approach to software that celebrates sanity over cleverness: clear intent, reasonable defaults, and providing a sense…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mattt-thompson/the-principle-of-least-surprise-describes-a-general-approach-to/) Mattt Thompson > [“The Principle of Least Surprise is the concept that the idea or approach being taken would not surprise a reasonably knowledgeable person in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-principle-of-least-surprise-is-the-concept-that-the-idea-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I believe that the purpose of life is, at least in part, to be happy. 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