I'm totally against women in combat, because we live in a culture and a society that imposes on every man the concept of women and children first.

Grace Hopper

The most damaging phrase in the language is: `It's always been done that way.'

Grace Hopper

From then on, when anything went wrong with a computer, we said it had bugs in it.

Grace Hopper

It's always easier to apologize for something you've already done than to get approval for it in advance.

Grace Hopper

You manage things; you lead people.

Grace Hopper

If you do something once, people will call it an accident. If you do it twice, they call it a coincidence. But do it a third time and you've just proven a natural law!

Grace Hopper

It is often easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.

Grace Hopper

I had a running compiler and nobody would touch it. They told me computers could only do arithmetic.

Grace Hopper

You manage things, you lead people. We went overboard on management and forgot about leadership.

Grace Hopper

No computer is ever going to ask a new, reasonable question. It takes trained people to do that.

Grace Hopper

Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down. Respect for one's superiors; care for one's crew.

Grace Hopper

The only phrase I've ever disliked is, 'Why, we've always done it that way.' I always tell young people, 'Go ahead and do it. You can always apologize later.'

Grace Hopper