In 1979, the American scientist Douglas Hofstadter published Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, a book about human consciousness that went on to earn a Pulitzer Prize.

In it, he wrote:

"In the early days of computer chess, people used to estimate that it would be ten years until a computer (or program) was world champion. But after ten years had passed, it seemed that the day a computer would become world champion was still more than ten years away... This is just one more piece of evidence for the rather recursive
     Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law."

Which is both hilarious and accurate, right? So while the phrase isn't common, it's a fun and handy one to know and use. 

In other words, when you want to refer to how people struggle to get things done on time, even though they know they struggle to get things done on time, call it Hofstadter's Law.

Part of speech:

Proper noun: "Remember Hofstadter's Law!"

Other forms: 

If you prefer, use a lowercase L: "Hofstadter's law."

how to use it:

Like "Murphy's Law" and "Hanlon's razor," "Hofstadter's Law" is a lighthearted, informal, rarely used, slightly scientific-sounding phrase that perfectly encapsulates the way humans so often behave.

So, when people are taking way too long to get something done, even though they planned to work faster or stick to a timetable, you could say they're obeying or following Hofstadter's Law. Or you could talk about people breaking or rebelling against Hofstadter's Law: "By giving myself a four-hour window to write what ought to take two hours, I'm trying my best to revolt against Hofstadter's Law."

Since the phrase is so rare, you may need to gloss it for your readers. We'll see some examples of glossing below. As a bonus, when you're glossing it, it delivers its own self-referential punchline.

examples:

"The company grossly underestimated the amount of work needed to deliver on what it promised for Siri last June. If it had stuck to the Jobs playbook, the time to have launched the enhancement would have been June 2025 at the earliest. The company had clearly forgotten Hofstadter’s Law: Everything takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law."
   — John Naughton, Miami Herald, 22 March 2025

"It's exceedingly difficult to meet implementation deadlines [for creating new technology for human resources]. Hofstadter’s Law states that it always takes longer than you expect – and that’s even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law! So, roll out the process in small phases to minimize the risk that your completion date will be wildly unrealistic."
  — David Creelman, ERE Media, 10 July 2022

has this page helped you understand "Hofstadter's Law"?

Awesome, I'm glad it helped!

Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this term, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "Hofstadter's Law" without saying "the planning fallacy" or "time management is hard."

try it out:

Why does Hofstadter's Law hold true so often? People have suggested these reasons:

1. We're too optimistic about how fast we can work.
2. We forget that unexpected things will slow us down.
3. We procrastinate.
4. We get distracted, interrupted, and overwhelmed.
5. We think we can effectively multitask, but we can't.

Could you think of any other reasons? And, thinking of some specific task or routine that always seems to take you way too long, which reasons ring truest for you?

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game for this month is Make Your Point Before & After!

I'll give you a clue, and you give me a verbal mashup including at least one word or phrase we've studied before.

For example, if I give you "It's the kind of theatrical stage setting that encourages the actors to radically overact," then you give me "mise en scenery chewing," a mashup of "mise en scene" and "scenery chewing."

Try this one today: It's the red, itchy irritation of the soul that occurs from too many instances of having to be patient and understanding when other people are being stupid and causing problems.

To reveal the first two hints, highlight the hidden white text.

Hint 1: The number of words in this Before & After is... three.

Hint 2: The first word in this Before & After is... "Hanlon's."

Hint 3: Use this term.

To see the answer, scroll all the way down.

review this word:

1. The opposite of HOFSTADTER'S LAW could be the idea that

A. a detailed outline is the best way to start writing a persuasive essay.
B. a detailed itinerary is the best way to get the most enjoyment from a trip.
C. a detailed timetable is the best way to complete a task or routine on time.

2. In Smithsonian Magazine, Ed Regis supposes that inventing a "fast, green, and quiet" supersonic plane _____ would violate Hofstadter's Law.

A. without billions in funding
B. before the end of the century
C. affordable for everyday airline passengers

Answers to the review questions: 1. C 2. B Answer to the game question: Hanlon's razor burn.

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.