Donald Knuth

"In my experience, the beautiful algorithms are the ones that are simple."

"The difference between a good programmer and a great programmer is that the great programmer thinks about his code in the context of the rest of his system."

"The purpose of life is to serve humanity, and the best way to serve is through your work."

"I spend most of my time reading and thinking about problems, and the programming is almost an afterthought."

"The reason I like mathematics is that I can think about infinities without it breaking my brain."

"A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe."

"The greatest gift is the ability to concentrate on solving one problem completely."

"Time is the one resource you cannot buy more of, so use it wisely."

"Art and science are not different; they are expressions of human understanding."

"The young programmer should not be afraid of the criticism of his elders."

"Courage is not the absence of fear, it's the willingness to face it."

"I believe that the way to make fast code is to first make correct code."

"The programmer's most important tool is not the computer, but clear thinking."

"Do what you love, and the money will follow."

"I have always been more interested in the future than in preserving the past."

"The best way to learn is by doing, not by being told."

"Success is not about being the best, it's about being better than you were yesterday."

"The most dangerous word in programming is 'simple.'"

"Clarity is the most important asset in technical writing and programming."

"I think the purpose of life is to enjoy it and to make the world a better place."

"The greatest joy in programming is creating something that didn't exist before."

"In every design there is the seed of contradiction."

"Freedom in programming means the freedom to express your ideas clearly."

"I am always learning from my mistakes and the mistakes of others."

"The role of the scientist is to ask the right questions, not necessarily to find all the answers."

"I believe that beauty is one of the most important aspects of any program."

"The programmer must have a strong sense of responsibility for the code they write."

"I would rather spend my time understanding a problem deeply than solving it quickly."

"The magic of programming is that it allows you to create worlds."

"I have learned that listening is more valuable than talking."