Richard Hamming

Quotes are word for word from the source.

• Value of experience

  “Without real experience in using the computer to get useful results the computer science major is apt to know all about the marvelous tool except how to use it.”

  Our noteHamming critiques the lack of practical application in computer science education.

• Learning for future

  “Any unwillingness to learn mathematics today can greatly restrict your possibilities tomorrow.”

  Our noteHamming emphasizes how mathematical knowledge opens up future opportunities.

• Lifelong self-learning

  “If you expect to continue learning all your life, you will be teaching yourself much of the time. You must learn to learn, especially the difficult topic of mathematics.”

  Our noteHamming discusses the necessity of self-education for continuous growth.

• Balance belief and doubt

  “If you believe too much you'll never notice the flaws; if you doubt too much you won't get started. It requires a lovely balance.”

  Our noteHe was talking about the psychological balance needed for scientific discovery.

• Open door policy

  “He who works with the door open gets all kinds of interruptions, but he also occasionally gets clues as to what the world is and what might be important.”

  Our noteHamming was comparing the long-term productivity of open versus closed office doors.

• Power of vision

  “In a lifetime of many, many independent choices, small and large, a career with a vision will get you a distance proportional to n, while no vision will get you only the distance √n.”

  Our noteHamming was explaining how a consistent vision compounds over a career.

• Direction over accuracy

  “the accuracy of the vision matters less than you suppose, getting anywhere is better than drifting, there are potentially many paths to greatness for you... No vision, not much of a future.”

  Our noteHe was encouraging students to pick a direction even if they aren't certain.

• Organizational perspective gaps

  “The people at the bottom do not have the larger, global view, but at the top they do not have the local view of all the details”

  Our noteHamming analyzes why extreme top-down or bottom-up management styles often fail.

• Overcoming NIH syndrome

  “The not invented here (NIH) syndrome is one of the major curses of our society.”

  Our noteHe critiques the tendency of organizations to reject ideas that originate from the outside.

• Intellectual responsibility

  “I say the same to you - you must assume the responsibility for what you believe.”

  Our noteHamming echoes the Buddha's advice on using one's own reason to evaluate information.