“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.”
Grace Hopper (1906–1992) American computer scientist and United States Navy officer
As quoted in the U.S. Navy's Chips Ahoy magazine (July 1986) <br class="br">As quoted in Built to Learn: The Inside Story of How Rockwell Collins Became a True Learning Organization (2003) by Cliff Purington, Chris Butler, and Sarah Fister Gale, p. 171 <br class="br">The future: Hardware, Software, and People in Carver https://books.google.com/books?id=5Q7uAAAAMAAJ, 1983<br>Actually attested since mid-19th century. <br class="br">Variant: If it's a good idea, go ahead and do it. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission. <br class="br">Variant: That brings me to the most important piece of advice that I can give to all of you: if you've got a good idea, and it's a contribution, I want you to go ahead and DO IT. It is much easier to apologize than it is to get permission. <br class="br">Source: https://quoteinvestigator.com/2018/06/19/forgive/