“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

THE OLD AXIOM THAT WORKS, EXCEPT WHEN IT DOESN’T: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”        Bert Lance        American banker and political advisor to President Jimmy Carter        This was already a proverbial saying in the Southern U.S. and maybe elsewhere before Lance adopted it as one of his own favorite quips. But Lance is widely credited with popularizing the saying and making it a national catchphrase. It’s a pithy way of expressing the belief that if some thing or policy is working adequately, it makes no sense — and may be unwise — to try to change or improve it. Lance was a top advisor to Jimmy Carter during the 1976 presidential campaign and served as Carter’s Director of the Office of Management and Budget from January 1977 until he was forced to resign in September 1977, due to allegations of past banking improprieties. During that time, Lance’s use of the “If it ain’t broke…” saying was quoted in many news stories and articles and is still cited in many books about politics and quotations.

THE “MIRACLE ON THE HUDSON” VERSION: “If it is broke, you’ve got nothing to lose from trying.”        William Langewiesche        American journalist and book author         In his book Fly by Wire: The Geese, the Glide, the Miracle on the Hudson (2009)        Langewiesche cited this as the philosophy adopted by pilot Chesley Sullenberger and first officer Jeffrey Skiles, who saved the lives of 155 passengers and crew members by successfully “landing” U.S. Airways flight 1549 on the Hudson River in January 2009 after it was disabled in a collision with flying geese.

THE SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE VERSION: “There are still many, many people who aren’t willing to listen to mounting evidence about environmental dysfunction. Their mantra is, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ but mine is, ‘If it ain’t fixable, don’t break it.’”        David Wann        American author, filmmaker and advocate of “sustainable lifestyles”        An excerpt from his book Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle (2007)

ADVICE FOR MEN WILLING TO RISK WIFEY’S WRATH: “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it and if it is broke wiggle your way out of fixing it.”        Quoted in the book Never Hang Wallpaper With Your Wife (2006)         A guide to “decorating and renovating from a guy’s point of view,” written by William S. Peckham and Michael C. Hammar

ADVICE FOR REAL WORLD DILBERTS: “Remember: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!" But if it is ‘broke’ or if the current operation is not optimum, make changes and additions for an improved operation that complies with ISO 9000 standards.”        Quoted in The American Society for Quality Control’s 49th Annual Quality Congress Proceedings (1995)

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