Detailing the Devil

The other night, I quipped in an e-mail that "The Devil is in the Details" - obviously meaning that it is always easy to describe something at a high or conceptual level (and probably self evident to you) but when it comes to implementation it is much more difficult.

This is always the challenge of executing what your boss inaccurately describes, envisions, and naively believes can be done in less time, for less money for the sole reason that he doesn't understand the technical details.  In my years at Accenture implementing complex computer systems, it was always a challenge to translate how difficult a change to computer code can be to a user.  This was especially true in the old non relational database days, when a client wanted to add a field (e.g. "Let's just add an extra field to the part number").  Something as simple as this request, might require a change to every program that used that "key" to access the data - translation ..... big DOLLARS and TIME.

I looked up this idiom only to discover it's origin started with "God is in the detail" or  "the good God is in the detail".  I think I prefer this statement actually.  Look historically how mankind has explored any subject area (science, mathematics, etc) - we continually look deeper and deeper (learning more yet less) only to discover it is an infinite journey of understanding.  But it is the human condition - curiosity and the quest for the truth.  Alas - as we get closer, it gets farther away; infinitely farther away.

I think I will stop using the common expression.  Time to de-tail the devil.