Premature Anything

If it's premature, then it's too early for whatever it is you have in mind (or other body part). So, don't do it (if you're able to not).

Instead of optimizing your code before it's written, try taking a cold shower. Instead of generalizing on a concept before observing even a single instance of it, try getting some sleep.

Sometimes words get left out of phrases in the interest of brevity. Well, brevity's never been my problem, so I like to bring 'em back. Sometimes when we say premature X we mean premature attempt to X, which is a bit different. PrematureOptimization can't exist, unless we want things to be bad. Premature attempts to optimize fail and leave a wake of damage. PrematureGeneralization and PrematureStandardization may or may not imply their literal interpretations. You may succeed in generalizing and be sorry for it. In that case, both the attempt and the success were premature.

But usually we mean "you will fail if you try to do this now", not "you will succeed and be sorry you did if you try this now". (I thought about that for a long time.)

-- WaldenMathews