Quotes About Ethics

If you claim a standard, you have to live by it. Win or lose. Else the standard never meant nothing.

You should not take a fellow eight years old And make him swear to never kiss the girls.

Our interest's on the dangerous edge of things.The honest thief, the tender murderer,The superstitious atheist, demirepThat loves and saves her soul in new French books.

White shall not neutralize the black, nor goodCompensate bad in man, absolve him so:Life's business being just the terrible choice.

Our interest's on the dangerous edge of things. The honest thief, the tender murderer, the superstitious atheist.

A prince can mak a belted knight,A marquis, duke, and a' that;But an honest man's aboon his might,Guid faith, he mauna fa' that.

On ev'ry hand it will allow'd be,He's just—nae better than he should be.

Let them cant about decorum, who have characters to lose!

The fear o' hell's a hangman's whip to haud the wretch in order; But where ye feel your honor grip, let that aye be your border.

They have cheveril consciences that will stretch.

A good conscience is a continual feast.

They lard their lean books with the fat of others' works.

In order to preserve your self-respect, it is sometimes necessary to lie and cheat.

Professionals speak truth to power. Professionals have the courage to say no to their managers. How do you say no to your boss? After all, it's your boss! Aren't you supposed to do what your boss says? No. Not if you are a professional. Slaves are not allowed to say no. Laborers may be hesitant to say no. But professionals are expected to say no. It's the only way you can really get anything done.

Professionals speak truth to power. Professionals have the courage to say no to their managers. How do you say no to your boss? After all, it's your boss! Aren't you supposed to do what your boss says? No. Not if you are a professional. Slaves are not allowed to say no. Laborers may be hesitant to say no. But professionals are expected to say no. Indeed, good managers crave someone who has the guts to say no. It's the only way you can really get anything done.

Writing clean code is what you must do in order to call yourself a professional. There is no reasonable excuse for doing anything less than your best.

Honesty in small things is not a small thing.

Whatever else a TODO might be, it is not an excuse to leave bad code in the system.

We are confidently commanding, in precise detail, the behaviors of a machine that could otherwise do incalculable damage. And so, programming is an act of supreme arrogance.

Woe to the poor developer who buckles under pressure and agrees to try to make the deadline. That developer will start taking shortcuts and working extra hours in the vain hope of working a miracle.

It is no longer sufficient that every programmer does what is right in their own eyes. Some disciplines, standards, and ethics will come. The decision before us today is whether we programmers will define them for ourselves or have them forced upon us by those who don't know us.

Professionals use their powers for good and write code that others can understand.

A craftsman is someone who works quickly, but without rushing, who provides reasonable estimates and meets commitments. A craftsman knows when to say no, but tries hard to say yes. A craftsman is a professional.

Robert C. Martin