Laurence J. Peter Quotes

In a Hierarchy Every Employee Tends to Rise to His Level of Incompetence

Bureaucracy defends the status quo long past the time when the quo has lost its status

It is wise to remember that you are one of those who can be fooled some of the time.

The man who says he is willing to meet you halfway is usually a poor judge of distance.

Incompetence knows no barriers of time or place.

The efficiency of a hierarchy is inversely proportional to its Maturity Quotient, M.Q. MQ = No. of employees at level of incompetence × 100 Total no. of employees in hierarchy Obviously, when MQ reaches 100, no useful work will be accomplished at all.

A man doesn't know what he knows until he knows what he doesn't know.

You can always tell a real friend: when you've made a fool of yourself he doesn't feel you've done a permanent job.

Television has changed the American child from an irresistible force into an immovable object.

Every girl should use what Mother Nature gave her before Father Time takes it away.

If you don't know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else.

You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water. Don't let yourself indulge in vain wishes.

Work is accomplished by those employees who have not yet reached their level of incompetence.

Given enough time — and assuming the existence of enough ranks in the hierarchy — each employee rises to, and remains at, his level of incompetence.

Man’s First Mistake: The Wheel