I'm always happy to trade performance for readability as long as the former isn't already scarce. -- Crayz (Commentor on blog.raganwald.com)

Let me try to get this straight: Lisp is a language for describing algorithms. This was JohnMcCarthy's original purpose, anyway: to build something more convenient than a Turing machine. Lisp is not about file, socket or GUI programming - Lisp is about expressive power. (For example, you can design multiple object systems for Lisp, in Lisp. Or implement the now-fashionable AOP. Or do arbitrary transformations on parsed source code.) If you don't value expressive power, Lisp ain't for you. I, personally, would prefer Lisp to not become mainstream: this would necessarily involve a dumbing down. -- VladimirSlepnev

A year spent in artificial intelligence is enough to make one believe in God. -- Alan J. Perlis (Epigrams in programming)

Lisp is worth learning for the profound enlightenment experience you will have when you finally get it; that experience will make you a better programmer for the rest of your days, even if you never actually use Lisp itself a lot. -- Eric S. Raymond

Within a computer natural language is unnatural. -- Alan J. Perlis (Epigrams in programming)

If everything seems under control, you're not going fast enough. -- Mario Andretti

Whenever you see a successful person you only see the public glories, never the private sacrifices to reach them. ~Vaibhav Shah

You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals. ~Booker T. Washington

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure. –Bill Cosby

Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing. –Benjamin Franklin