Member-only story

Why You Should Ask for Forgiveness, Not Permission

The real meaning behind Admiral Grace Hopper’s advice

Nita Jain
An Injustice!
2 min readApr 27, 2022

Photo by Getty Images

Often quoted among entrepreneurs and social justice advocates, the aphorism “It’s easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission” is frequently encountered in different contexts.

But what exactly does this advice mean and where did it come from?

Credit for this quote goes to computing pioneer and U.S. Naval officer Grace Hopper who developed the first compiler and became one of the first women promoted to rear admiral in the United States Navy.

Nickname? “Amazing Grace.”

What did she mean by her statement? Admiral Hopper wasn’t advocating for impulsivity or a world where rules are discarded in favor of chaos.

She was commenting on the enormous amount of red tape that one often has to navigate in order to effect any real change.

If you’ve ever worked in a large company or organization, you know that gaining approval for a new idea is nearly impossible because of the hierarchy of levels you have to wade through in order to get permission.

These difficulties are also prominently on display in our congressional and legal systems.

Create an account to read the full story.

The author made this story available to Medium members only.
If you’re new to Medium, create a new account to read this story on us.

Or, continue in mobile web

Already have an account? Sign in

Published in An Injustice!

A new intersectional publication, geared towards voices, values, and identities!

Written by Nita Jain

I share health and science insights to improve your quality of life | nitajain.substack.com

Responses (5)

What are your thoughts?

--

It’s not about being reckless but about knowing when to push the envelope. It’s about not waiting for anyone’s approval to do the things you need to do in order to succeed.

--

It’s about not waiting for anyone’s approval to do the things you need to do in order to succeed.

--