If one looks with a cold eye at the mess man has made of history, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that he has been afflicted by some built-in mental disorder which drives him towards self-destruction.
—Arthur Koestler (1905–83) British Writer, Journalist, Political Refugee
Our memories are card indexes consulted and then returned in disorder by authorities whom we do not control.
—Cyril Connolly (1903–74) British Literary Critic, Writer
When the soul drifts uncertainly between life and the dream, between the mind’s disorder and the return to cool reflection, it is in religious thought that we should seek consolation.
—Gerard de Nerval (1808–55) French Poet, Essayist, Critic
Idleness is an inlet to disorder, and makes way for licentiousness.—People who have nothing to do are quickly tired of their own company.
—Jeremy Collier (1650–1726) Anglican Church Historian, Clergyman
Music when healthy, is the teacher of perfect order, and when depraved, the teacher of perfect disorder.
—John Ruskin (1819–1900) English Writer, Art Critic
Confusion heard his voice, and wild uproar Stood ruled, stood vast infinitude confined; Till at his second bidding darkness fled, Light shone, and order from disorder sprung.
—John Milton (1608–74) English Poet, Civil Servant, Scholar, Debater
The best thing for being sad,” replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, “is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then—to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting.
—Theodore H. White (1915–86) American Journalist, Historian, Novelist
Simulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; simulated fear postulates courage; simulated weakness postulates strength.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
What the horrors of war are, no one can imagine. They are not wounds and blood and fever, spotted and low, or dysentery, chronic and acute, cold and heat and famine. They are intoxication, drunken brutality, demoralization and disorder on the part of the inferior… jealousies, meanness, indifference, selfish brutality on the part of the superior.
—Florence Nightingale (1820–1910) English Nurse
Two dangers constantly threaten the world: order and disorder.
—Paul Valery (1871–1945) French Critic, Poet
When virtue is lost, benevolence appears, when benevolence is lost right conduct appears, when right conduct is lost, expedience appears. Expediency is the mere shadow of right and truth; it is the beginning of disorder.
—Laozi (fl.6th Century BCE) Chinese Philosopher, Sage
Democracy is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequal alike.
—Plato (428 BCE–347 BCE) Ancient Greek Philosopher, Mathematician, Educator
Order marches with weighty and measured strides; disorder is always in a hurry.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
War begets quiet, quiet idleness, idleness disorder, disorder ruin; likewise ruin order, order virtue, virtue glory, and good fortune.
—Walter Raleigh (1552–1618) English Courtier, Navigator, Poet
Love is a temporary insanity curable by marriage or by removal of the patient from the influences under which he incurred the disorder.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
It is best to do things systematically, since we are only humans, and disorder is our worst enemy.
—Hesiod (f.700 BCE) Greek Poet
OPTIMISM, n. The doctrine, or belief, that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong. It is held with greatest tenacity by those most accustomed to the mischance of falling into adversity, and is most acceptably expounded with the grin that apes a smile. Being a blind faith, it is inaccessible to the light of disproof—an intellectual disorder, yielding to no treatment but death. It is hereditary, but fortunately not contagious.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.
—Carl Gustav Jung (1875–1961) Swiss Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Philosopher
Gaiety—a quality of ordinary men. Genius always presupposes some disorder in the machine.
—Denis Diderot (1713–84) French Philosopher, Writer
It is essential for genetic material to be able to make exact copies of itself; otherwise growth would produce disorder, life could not originate, and favourable forms would not be perpetuated by natural selection.
—Maurice Wilkins (1916–2004) British Biochemist, Molecular Biologist
The only things that evolve by themselves in an organization are disorder, friction, and malperformance.
—Peter Drucker (1909–2005) Austrian-born Management Consultant
When we violate the law ourselves, whatever short-term advantage may be gained, we are obviously encouraging others to violate the law; we thus encourage disorder and instability and thereby do incalculable damage to our own long-term interests.
—J. William Fulbright (1905–95) American Political leader, Politician
For disorder obstructs: besides, it doth disgust life, distract the appetities, and yield no true relish to the senses.
—Margaret Lucas Cavendish (1623–73) English Aristocrat, Philosopher, Writer
Battle is an orgy of disorder.
—George S. Patton (1885–1945) American Military Leader
I have a skin disorder that destroys the pigmentation of my skin, it’s something that I cannot help, OK?
—Michael Jackson (1958–2009) American Singer-Songwriter
The human story does not always unfold like a mathematical calculation on the principle that two and two make four. Sometimes in life they make five or minus three; and sometimes the blackboard topples down in the middle of the sum and leaves the class in disorder and the pedagogue with a black eye.
—Winston Churchill (1874–1965) British Head of State, Political leader, Historian, Journalist, Author
IMMORAL, adj. Inexpedient. Whatever in the long run and with regard to the greater number of instances men find to be generally inexpedient comes to be considered wrong, wicked, immoral. If man’s notions of right and wrong have any other basis than this of expediency; if they originated, or could have originated, in any other way; if actions have in themselves a moral character apart from, and nowise dependent on, their consequences—then all philosophy is a lie and reason a disorder of the mind.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
There is a quality even meaner than outright ugliness or disorder, and this meaner quality is the dishonest mask of pretended order, achieved by ignoring or suppressing the real order that is struggling to exist and to be served.
—Jane Jacobs (1916–2006) Canadian Urbanologist, Author
As the biggest library if it is in disorder is not as useful as a small but well-arranged one, so you may accumulate a vast amount of knowledge but it will be of far less value to you than a much smaller amount if you have not thought it over for yourself.
—Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) German Philosopher
Work: a dangerous disorder affecting high public functionaries who want to go fishing.
—Ambrose Bierce (1842–1913) American Short-story Writer, Journalist
I think flying planes into a building was a faith-based initiative. I think religion is a neurological disorder.
—Bill Maher (b.1956) American Comedian, TV Personality, Social Critic, Author, Actor
I don’t understand if you get caught in a fight, but take it out on a room, how that implies some psychiatric disorder.
—Sean Connery (1930–2020) Scottish Actor, Film Producer