Why do we say "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"?

Meaning:

Don't try to improve a system that already works well enough

Background:

The expression originated in the USA in the 20th century, and is often attributed to Thomas Bertram Lance (1931 - 2013), known as Bert Lance, who was a close adviser to Jimmy Carter during his successful 1976 campaign and became director of the Office of Management and the Budget (OMB) in Carter's government. Lance resigned in 1977 after William Safire's Pulitzer Prize-winning article raised questions about mismanagement and corruption at Calhoun National Bank while Lance was Chairman of the Board. Lance was later acquitted of all charges and returned to Calhoun Bank as chairman from 1981 to 1986.

From a 1977 issue of Nation's Business, the newsletter of the US Chamber of Commerce:

Bert Lance believes he can save Uncle Sam billions if he can get the government to adopt a simple motto: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." He explains: "That's the trouble with government: Fixing things that aren't broken and not fixing things that are broken."

However, while it seems that Lance popularized the term, he was not the first to use it. For example, The Phrase Finder points to a reference in the Texas newspaper, The Big Spring Herald, December, 1976:

"We would agree with the old Georgia farmer who said his basic principle was 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it.'"

Some correspondents in the forum say they recollect hearing the expression long before the 1970s, and maybe it was used in speech before this time and/or variations are in print, but The Phrase Finder was unable to find any print record before 1976.

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