“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” from Bert Lance and basketball to Burger King and Dilbert – and beyond…

THE PROVERBIAL AXIOM: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”        Bert Lance (1931-2013)        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.

JOHN WALL’S VIEW:           “I understand how quickly this game can be taken away from you. I try to play through all injuries, because I feel like, ‘If it ain’t broke, go play.’ For me, if you take all the money away, I’m still going to play the game the same way I do, because that's how much I love it.”         John Wall         Washington Wizards basketball team point guard         In an interview on May 27, 2020, commenting on his desire to get to playing basketball after being sidelined for nearly two years by surgeries for bone spurs and a tear in his Achilles tendon.

THE BURGER KING EXAMPLE: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Right? Well, Burger King didn’t get the memo. They’ve decided to flip their 40-year-old slogan. The days of ‘Have It Your Way’ will soon be a thing of the past. Their new slogan ‘Be Your Way’ kicks off this month. What the heck does that even mean?”        A May 23, 2014 article on NewsFixNow.com about the fast food chain’s puzzling new advertising slogan

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)

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 “Sully” 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 on January 15, 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”                      In his book Simple Prosperity: Finding Real Wealth in a Sustainable Lifestyle (2007)

ADVICE FOR HUSBANDS WILLING TO RISK THEIR WIFE’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

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Related reading: books of quotations about politics and government…