30 July: C. Northcote Parkinson Quotes

C. (Cyril) Northcote Parkinson, historian and author of some sixty books, the most famous of which was his bestseller Parkinson's Law, was born on 30 July 1909, 110 years ago. Here are some things he said:

1. Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.
2. Delay is the deadliest form of denial.
3. Expenditure rises to meet income.
4. Perfection of planning is a symptom of decay. During a period of exciting discovery or progress, there is no time to plan the perfect headquarters. Perfection of planned layout is achieved only by institutions on the point of collapse.
5. The chief product of an automated society is a widespread and deepening sense of boredom.
6. In politics people give you what they think you deserve and deny you what they think you want.
7. The void created by the failure to communicate is soon filled with poison, drivel and misrepresentation.
8. The man who is denied the opportunity of taking decisions of importance begins to regard as important the decisions he is allowed to take. He becomes fussy about filing, keen on seeing that pencils are sharpened, eager to ensure that the windows are open (or shut) and apt to use two or three different-coloured inks.
9. If there is a way to delay an important decision, the good bureaucracy, public or private, will find it.
10. It is the busiest man who has time to spare.