murphy's law

Murphy’s Law

Murphy’sLaw

Murphy’sLaw

Murphy’s LawMurphy’s Law

If anything can gowrong, it willIf anything can gowrong, it will


If there is a possibilityof several things goingwrong, the one that willcause the most damagewill be the first one togo wrong

If there is a possibilityof several things goingwrong, the one that willcause the most damagewill be the first one togo wrong


If nothing can just gowrong, it will anywayIf nothing can just gowrong, it will anyway


If there are 4 possibleways in which somethingcan go wrong, and youcircumvent these, then a5th way, unpreparedfor, will immediatelyoccur

If there are 4 possibleways in which somethingcan go wrong, and youcircumvent these, then a5th way, unpreparedfor, will immediatelyoccur


Left to themselves,things tend to go frombad to worse

Left to themselves,things tend to go frombad to worse

Murphy’s Law


If things seem to begoing well, you haveobviously overlookedsomething

If things seem to begoing well, you haveobviously overlookedsomething


Nature always sideswith the hidden flawNature always sideswith the hidden flaw


O'Toole's Commentaryon Murphy's Laws -Murphy was anoptimist

O'Toole's Commentaryon Murphy's Laws -Murphy was anoptimist


Ginsberg's Theorems•you can't win•you can't break even•you can't even quit the game

Ginsberg's Theorems•you can't win•you can't break even•you can't even quit the game


Forsyth's Second Corollaryto Murphy's Law - justwhenyou can see the light atthe end of the tunnel, theroof caves in.

Forsyth's Second Corollaryto Murphy's Law - justwhenyou can see the light atthe end of the tunnel, theroof caves in.


Weiler's Law - nothingis impossible for theperson who doesn't haveto do it themself

Weiler's Law - nothingis impossible for theperson who doesn't haveto do it themself

Murphy’s Law


The Laws of ComputerProgramming - any givenprogram, when running,is obsolete

The Laws of ComputerProgramming - any givenprogram, when running,is obsolete


Any given program costsmore and takes longereach time it is run

Any given program costsmore and takes longereach time it is run


If a program is useful,it will have to bereplaced

If a program is useful,it will have to bereplaced


If a program is useless,it will have to beupgraded

If a program is useless,it will have to beupgraded


Any given program willexpand to over-fill theavailable memory

Any given program willexpand to over-fill theavailable memory


The value of a programis inversely proportionalto the amount it costs

The value of a programis inversely proportionalto the amount it costs

Murphy’s Law


Program complexitygrows until it exceedsthe capability of theprogrammer who mustmaintain it

Program complexitygrows until it exceedsthe capability of theprogrammer who mustmaintain it


Addition to Murphy'sLaw - in nature, nothingis ever right, therefore,if everything is goingright... something iswrong

Addition to Murphy'sLaw - in nature, nothingis ever right, therefore,if everything is goingright... something iswrong


Brook's Law - if atfirst you don't succeed,hire a consultant

Brook's Law - if atfirst you don't succeed,hire a consultant


Grosch's Law costsincrease as the squareof the computing power

Grosch's Law costsincrease as the squareof the computing power


Golub's Laws ofComputerdumb - fuzzyproject objectives areused to avoid theembarrassment ofestimating thecorresponding costs

Golub's Laws ofComputerdumb - fuzzyproject objectives areused to avoid theembarrassment ofestimating thecorresponding costs


A carelessly plannedproject takes 3 timeslonger to complete thanexpected; a carefullyplanned project takesfive times as long

A carelessly plannedproject takes 3 timeslonger to complete thanexpected; a carefullyplanned project takesfive times as long

Murphy’s Law


Osborn's Law: variableswon't; constraints aren'tOsborn's Law: variableswon't; constraints aren't


To err is human,but to reallyscrew up youneed a computer

To err is human,but to reallyscrew up youneed a computer


Any system thatdepends on humanreliability is unreliable

Any system thatdepends on humanreliability is unreliable


Gubarsky's Law ofCybernetic Entomology:there's always at leastone more bug

Gubarsky's Law ofCybernetic Entomology:there's always at leastone more bug


Groutman's Postulate:profanity is the onelanguage understood byall programmers

Groutman's Postulate:profanity is the onelanguage understood byall programmers


It won’t be until aprogram has been inproduction for 6months the the mostharmful error will bediscovered

It won’t be until aprogram has been inproduction for 6months the the mostharmful error will bediscovered

Murphy’s Law


Cables & card thatabsolutely can’t beconnected in the wrongway will be

Cables & card thatabsolutely can’t beconnected in the wrongway will be


Switchable cables won't.Switchable cables won't.


Weinberg's Second Law ofRelativity: if builders builtbuildings the wayprogrammers wroteprograms, then the firstwoodpecker that came alongwould destroy civilization

Weinberg's Second Law ofRelativity: if builders builtbuildings the wayprogrammers wroteprograms, then the firstwoodpecker that came alongwould destroy civilization


Sumperson's Law: theprobability of anythinghappening is in inverseratio to its desirabilityor need

Sumperson's Law: theprobability of anythinghappening is in inverseratio to its desirabilityor need


Gummidge's Law: theamount of expertisevaries in inverseproportion to the numberofstatements understoodby the general public

Gummidge's Law: theamount of expertisevaries in inverseproportion to the numberofstatements understoodby the general public Murphy’s LawMurphy’s Law

Symurgy's 1st Law ofEvolving System Dynamics:once you open a can ofworms, the only way torecan them is to use alarger can- old wormsnever die, they just wormtheir way into larger cans

Symurgy's 1st Law ofEvolving System Dynamics:once you open a can ofworms, the only way torecan them is to use alarger can- old wormsnever die, they just wormtheir way into larger cans

Murphy’s Law


Harvard's Law, as appliedto computers: under themost rigorously controlledconditions of pressure,temperature, volume,humidity, and othervariables, the computer willdo as it damn well pleases

Harvard's Law, as appliedto computers: under themost rigorously controlledconditions of pressure,temperature, volume,humidity, and othervariables, the computer willdo as it damn well pleases


Battinger's Law: itworks better if you plugit in

Battinger's Law: itworks better if you plugit in


Henkinson's Law: Buteven then it won't workHenkinson's Law: Buteven then it won't work


Koerner's Five ThumbPostulate: experiencevaries directly withequipment ruined

Koerner's Five ThumbPostulate: experiencevaries directly withequipment ruined


Cheop's Law: nothingever gets built ontime or within budget

Cheop's Law: nothingever gets built ontime or within budget


Beaumont's Rule ofAccuracy: when workingtoward the solution of aproblem, it always helpsif you know the answer

Beaumont's Rule ofAccuracy: when workingtoward the solution of aproblem, it always helpsif you know the answer

Murphy’s Law


Wymurg's 7th Exceptionto Murphy's Law: whenit rains it floods

Wymurg's 7th Exceptionto Murphy's Law: whenit rains it floods


Fudder's Laws:anything that beginwell ends badly,anything that beginsbadly ends worse

Fudder's Laws:anything that beginwell ends badly,anything that beginsbadly ends worse


Westheimer's Rule: to estimatethe time it takes to do a task,estimate the time you think itshould take, multiply by 2 andchange the unit of measure tothe next highest unit. Thus weallocate 2 days for a 1 hour task

Westheimer's Rule: to estimatethe time it takes to do a task,estimate the time you think itshould take, multiply by 2 andchange the unit of measure tothe next highest unit. Thus weallocate 2 days for a 1 hour task


Stockmayer'sTheorem:if it looks easy, it'stough. If it lookstough, it's damn nearimpossible

Stockmayer'sTheorem:if it looks easy, it'stough. If it lookstough, it's damn nearimpossible


Atwood's Corollary: Nobooks are lost bylending except thoseyou particularly neededto keep

Atwood's Corollary: Nobooks are lost bylending except thoseyou particularly neededto keep


Johnson's Third Law: Ifyou miss one issue of anymagazine, it will be theissue that contains thearticle, story, information,or installment that youwere most anxious to read

Johnson's Third Law: Ifyou miss one issue of anymagazine, it will be theissue that contains thearticle, story, information,or installment that youwere most anxious to read

Murphy’s Law


Corollary of Johnson'sThird Law: All of yourfriends either missedit, lost it or threw itout

Corollary of Johnson'sThird Law: All of yourfriends either missedit, lost it or threw itout


Harper's MagazineLaw: You never findthe article until youreplace the equipment

Harper's MagazineLaw: You never findthe article until youreplace the equipment


Brooke's Law: Addingmanpower to a lateproject makes iteven later

Brooke's Law: Addingmanpower to a lateproject makes iteven later


Nagle's Fourth Law:Once a job is fouledup, anything done toimprove it will onlymake it worse

Nagle's Fourth Law:Once a job is fouledup, anything done toimprove it will onlymake it worse


Heatherkile's Rule:Whatever you did,that's what you planned

Heatherkile's Rule:Whatever you did,that's what you planned


Flap's Law: Any inanimateobject, regardless of itsposition, configuration, orpurpose, may be expected toperform at any time in atotally unexpected manner forreasons that are eitherentirely obscure or elsecompletely mysterious.

Flap's Law: Any inanimateobject, regardless of itsposition, configuration, orpurpose, may be expected toperform at any time in atotally unexpected manner forreasons that are eitherentirely obscure or elsecompletely mysterious.

Murphy’s Law


Jukes' Axiom: Thenumber of potholes inthe road or speedbumps in the parking lotproportionally increasesin relation to theamount of data storedon the hard drive in

Jukes' Axiom: Thenumber of potholes inthe road or speedbumps in the parking lotproportionally increasesin relation to theamount of data storedon the hard drive in Murphy’s LawMurphy’s Law

Collins' Law: If you can'tmake a mistake, youcan't make anything.

Collins' Law: If you can'tmake a mistake, youcan't make anything.


Rabinovitch's Rules ofSane Dialogue: Everyonewho matters is stupidnow and then

Rabinovitch's Rules ofSane Dialogue: Everyonewho matters is stupidnow and then


If I'm being stupid, that'smy problem.

If my being stupid makesyou stupid, that's yourproblem.

If you think you're neverstupid, boy are you stupid!

If I'm being stupid, that'smy problem.

If my being stupid makesyou stupid, that's yourproblem.

If you think you're neverstupid, boy are you stupid!

murphy's law

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