Too great certainty destroys certainty itself.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) Over-specification can be self-defeating — an instrument so narrowly drawn that it fails to cover the very situation intended is worse than one stated in broader terms.

Where this applies

• A zoning ordinance specifies building setbacks down to the quarter-inch, but a homeowner's survey shows the lot is a sixteenth of an inch off — the over-precise standard makes enforcement absurd.
• A contract defines 'timely delivery' as arrival at exactly 9:00:00 AM, and a delivery at 9:00:01 AM is rejected — the hyper-specific requirement defeats the certainty it was supposed to create.
• A tax code provision lists deductible expenses with such minute specificity that common, legitimate expenses fall through the cracks — the excessive detail creates more confusion than a simpler rule would.