A list is only as strong as its weakest link.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- A system or chain fails based on its weakest part.
- In plain terms
- Overall strength depends on the weakest part.
- What can you take from it?
- Strengthen the weakest link to improve the whole.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where is your weakest point?
- How do you reinforce it?
Another view
Sometimes strong links cannot compensate for one critical failure.
More from Donald Knuth
Any inaccuracies in this index may be explained by the fact that it has been sorted with the help of a computer.
Permalink to quote #13 In fact what I would like to see is thousands of computer scientists let loose to do whatever they want. That's what really advances the field.
Permalink to quote #15 The sun comes up just about as often as it goes down, in the long run, but this doesn't make its motion random.
Permalink to quote #12
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