People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we don't. - Bjarne Stroustrup

Far too often, "software engineering" is neither engineering nor about software.

One of the things I really like about programming languages is that it's the perfect excuse to stick your nose into any field. So if you're interested in high energy physics and the structure of the universe, being a programmer is one of the best ways to get in there. It's probably easier than becoming a theoretical physicist.

There are more useful systems developed in languages deemed awful than in languages praised for being beautiful — many more.