Don’t fix it, If it aren’t broke.
Don’t fix it, If it aren’t broke.
Meaning in plain English
The saying advises leaving a functioning thing alone instead of repairing it unnecessarily. It questions changes made without an identified problem.
Example
A team asks what problem a proposed alteration would solve before changing a reliable arrangement.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The source’s irregular grammar is retained, while the meaning concerns the purpose and cost of intervention. Working now does not prove that maintenance or improvement is pointless. A useful application checks actual performance, emerging needs and the reason for a proposed change rather than rejecting change automatically.
When to use it
Use it to examine whether a change has a justified purpose.
Keep in mind
A functioning system may still need maintenance or improvement; current operation is not proof of future adequacy.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
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Supplied reference A; unit 817; PDF page 116
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