What one person thinks is a mess, is another person’s order.
Notice the round file next to the chair.
English Phrase: Controlled chaos
Some things look out of control. Some things seem to be confused and messy, but they are functioning very well. When something looks very messy but is working quite well, we can describe it as controlled chaos.
Think about major train stations for a moment. If you are not familiar with the station, it is tough to get around, and many people seem to be moving around with no order at all.
In reality, however, most of the people do know where they are going. It is an excellent example of controlled chaos.
Millions and millions and millions of people in Japan work in offices. Most people have a very neat desk, but not all.
I bet you that in your office there’s one person who has a cluttered, messy desk.
I bet you think it would be impossible to find anything on that person’s desk.
The person who owns that desk knows where everything is.
They could find a file in their controlled chaos very quickly.