This is completely off topic (though possibly still on the topic of maximal readability) but the correct way to express this logic is as follows: age >= 18

This is completely off topic (though possibly still on the topic of maximal readability) but the correct way to express this logic is as follows: age >= 18 If your code is specifically about the magical age of adulthood then it ought to include that age as a literal, somewhere. It becomes more obvious when you consider replacing the inline literal with a named constant: CHILD_UPTO = 17 # awkward compared with: ADULT = 18 # oh the clarity My fellow turd polishers and I would probably also add a tiny type: Age = int ADULT: Age = 18 # mwah! (The article was a good read, btw.)