Code should run as fast as necessary, but no faster; something important is always traded away to increase speed.
Richard E. PattisIf you cannot grok the overall structure of a program while taking a shower, you are not ready to code it.
Richard E. PattisProgramming languages, like pizzas, come in only too sizes; too big and too small.
Richard E. PattisThe discipline of programming is most like sorcery. Both use precise language to instruct inanimate objects to do our bidding. Small mistakes in programs or spells can lead to completely unforseen behavior: e.g., see the story, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Neither study is easy: "...her [Galinda's] early appetite for sorcery had waned once she'd heard what a grind it was to learn spells and, worse, to understand them." from the book "Wicked" by G. Maguire.
Richard E. Pattis