You're likely correct (I'm unable to find the original context of the comment), but it's rarely employed with its original context. Indeed, I was more trying to say that I disliked the quotation itself (and how it can be used) than whatever Stroustrup meant by it.
> C++ is one of the most successful programming languages in history. There is a reason why.
And I said as much in my comment.
(I would also point out that some of the reasons may not be good reasons. But some certainly are!)
> Stroustrup has spent much of his career working to improve C++.
To improve the current situation, we may want to abandon C++ altogether for new programs rather than stubbornly hold on to it.
(In the back of my mind is Stroustrup's recent reaction to the NSA report on memory safety.)
I'm under no illusion that programmers will begin formally proving properties of their programs, as interested as I am in that. But people seem to rarely avail themselves of the tools that help them write correct C++, and rarely manage to use only modern C++, which suggests we may want to simply let go of it. Or radically change it – making safety features opt-out rather than opt-in.