The best code is the code never written.
The most secure code is the code never written.
The most reliable code is the code never written.
The fastest code is the code never written.
Less is more.
Related to the classic quote:
"It seems that perfection is attained, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
And some others:
Days of development can save hours of planning.
Your real problem is that you don't understand your problem.
Reading code is harder than writing code.
Great theme. I'm reminded of a Gordon Bell quote found in Jon Bentley's 'Programming Pearls': 'The cheapest, fastest and most reliable components of a computer system are those that aren't there.'
"It seems that perfection is attained, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away." -Antoine de Saint-Exupery
And some others:
Could get a LOT based on this: Frequently Forgotten Facts about Software Engineering http://www.eng.auburn.edu/~hendrix/comp6710/readings/Forgott... [PDF](Also in book form, "Facts and Fallacies of Software Engineering" Robert Glass)