Discussion on: Can you share your favorite quote or rule related to IT?

I like the classics:

1. Premature optimization is the root of all evil.

Shaving 1ns off code executed once or even 100 times probably isn't going to matter. Plus, your intuitions of where to optimize are bad.

1. There are only two hard things in Computer Science: cache invalidation and naming things.

A recent one I got from Working Effectively with Legacy Code:

1. Programming is the art of doing one thing at a time.

This applies to your code and to the act of writing code. Methods should do one thing well. At a single time, you should be doing one thing well. Do tests, refactoring, and new features individually and you'll benefit.

A few others that are more life-quotes, but I think apply:

1. Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work

2. Small things, if not corrected, become big things, always.

3. If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.