Niklaus Wirth Quotes

Early on, in discussions of financial oversight, people would say, 'Well, this is a very complicated problem, therefore it requires a complicated solution.' And at that step, I would say, 'Well, wait a minute. Just because it's a complicated problem doesn't mean the best course of action immediately is one that's complicated.'

If I have learned anything as a scientist, it is that one should not make things complicated when a simple explanation will do.

No matter how complicated a problem is, it usually can be reduced to a simple, comprehensible form which is often the best solution.

Complexity is your enemy. Any fool can make something complicated. It is hard to keep things simple.

Never do anything complicated when something simple will serve as well. It's one of the most important secrets of living.

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler.

The world is complicated. But does every problem require a complicated solution?

Every situation, no matter how complex it initially looks, is exceedingly simple.

The problem is that we attempt to solve the simplest questions cleverly, thereby rendering them unusually complex. One should seekthe simple solution.

Complexity and intelligence grow from simplicity, not from greater complexity.

There is no problem so complicated that you can't find a very simple answer to it if you look at it right.

Complexity is the enemy of clarity

..things are never as complicated as they seem. It is only our arrogance that prompts us to find unnecessarily complicated answers to simple problems.

Any idiot can be complicated. It takes a genius to be simple.

Things that are complex are not useful, Things that are useful are simple.

Simplicity is complexity resolved

Simple can be harder than complex. You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple.

Keep it simple, when you get too complex you forget the obvious.

That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex.

Dealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple.

Simplicity does not precede complexity, but follows it.

My reaction to everything in life is when it gets a bit complicated to water it down and make it simple again.

Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that's creativity.

I am a firm believer that if you can explain it to a kid, you're on the right track.

It's so easy to make things complicated in business.