Controlled chaos

When we describe something as slapdash, we mean it has been done carelessly and without a plan. Someone has not put a lot of effort into it. ; Controlled chaos occurs when what seems to be total confusion is actually well controlled and orderly, we just can't see the order.

What one person thinks is a mess is another person’s order.

Notice the round file next to the chair.

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English Phrase: Controlled chaos

Some things look out of control.

Some things seem confusing and messy, but they are functioning very well.


When something looks messy but works quite well, we can describe it as controlled chaos.


Think about major train stations for a moment.

If you are unfamiliar with the station, it is tough to get around, and many people seem to be moving around with no order.

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 finding anything on that person’s desk would be impossible.

The person who owns that desk knows where everything is.

They could find a file in their controlled chaos very quickly.


This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).  

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 76.  

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.



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