By understanding a machine-oriented language, the programmer will tend to use a much more efficient method; it is much closer to reality.
Donald KnuthScience is knowledge which we understand so well that we can teach it to a computer; and if we don't fully understand something, it is an art to deal with it.
Donald KnuthPrograms are meant to be read by humans and only incidentally for computers to execute.
Donald KnuthWhen you write a program, think of it primarily as a work of literature. You're trying to write something that human beings are going to read. Don't think of it primarily as something a computer is going to follow. The more effective you are at making your program readable, the more effective it's going to be: You'll understand it today, you'll understand it next week, and your successors who are going to maintain and modify it will understand it.
Donald Knuth