Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not smart enough to debug it.

Brian W. Kernighan

Give someone a program, you frustrate them for a day; teach them how to program, you frustrate them for a lifetime.

~ David Leinweber

Every time you write new code, you should do so reluctantly, under duress, because you completely exhausted all your other options. Code is only our enemy because there are so many of us programmers writing so damn much of it.

~ Jeff Atwood

The fundamental nature of coding is that our task, as programmers, is to recognize that every decision we make is a trade-off.

~ Jeff Atwood

"It ended up being trickier than I expected" is much more common in programming than "It ended up being easier than I expected"

~ Gregory Moeck

The use of anthropomorphic terminology when dealing with computer systems is a sign of professional immaturity

~ Dijkstra

About modern education and programming

It goes against the grain of modern education to teach children to program. What fun is there in making plans, acquiring discipline in organizing thoughts, devoting attention to detail and learning to be self-critical?

~ Alan Perlis, Epigrams in Programming