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Quinn’s Dilemma by Bruce N. Ball. Society thrives in honoring order and abiding by the laws that govern it.

Despite believing that there’s beauty in chaos, humanity traverses the path opposite it. There are two sides to every coin.

Two narratives exist in every story, depending on whose side the reader chooses. Every decision has an equivalent reward or consequence, the pros and cons given to the maker. People also balance kindness and a little less of it, having the power to decide which to convey depending on the situation’s context. In essence, this idiom denotes the impossibility of enjoying the good without experiencing the bad. And as complex as it is, society isn’t an exception to this rule. It constantly balances two ends of a spectrum, its state solely dependent on which side tips.

Within society is a constant yet unnoticeable dilemma between order and chaos, whether the good side or the bad should win. This yin-yang is what author Bruce N. Ball has experienced in his line of duty, utilizing it as inspiration for his book Quinn’s Dilemma. Coexisting in society are two contradicting sides. But how much of one is too much, should there be a ceiling point?

It’s Human Nature to Choose Order

Humans are innately controlling. This subconscious pattern is done to meet their desire for order and satisfy their need for certainty and assurance. Order is among people’s top desires, established by psychologist Steven Reiss, for this leads to an improved sense of security and stability. Both of which are crucial to ensure a meaningful and fulfilling life. This is why the sentiment of believing there’s beauty in chaos is often disregarded and pushed aside.

In the absence of order, people would falter and function less than expected. This is because the energy that should be used to accomplish tasks would be diverted and used to make sense of the chaos around them. Instead of doing worthwhile activities, they’re stuck piecing confusing puzzles of disarray to comprehend why they’re happening in the way they are. Beauty in chaos is often unseen because the latter masks it. People are too busy unraveling and surviving through the mess that they overlook what it could bear afterward.

Against the vastness of the world and society’s buzz, it’s genuinely peaceful and comforting to have a routine. It’s the structure against the chaos, the clarity beyond the confusion. To be truly happy, people need to have their desires and wishes fulfilled. To guarantee this, they would need a society that ensures enough resources are given to them whenever they need it, a society prosperous enough to take care of its population’s needs. But will this only be achieved with order, not chaos?

If There Is Beauty in Chaos, What Does This Mean to Society?

Some people want to watch the world burn. This can mean they find some weird satisfaction in seeing the world fail. But others prefer igniting fire where it’s not supposed to be, believing that something will come from the ashes. As people say, there is beauty in chaos. Disarray doesn’t always bring circumstances to failure. In certain situations, chaos does the exact opposite.

However, this sentiment doesn’t imply that lawlessness will benefit society. There is beauty in chaos, but this doesn’t encourage people to consciously and willfully ignite it. This doesn’t tolerate individuals who purposely break the law and avoid punishments unscathed. Beauty in chaos never promotes the idea that to achieve beauty, chaos should always ensue.

Instead, it merely poses the probability that for something extraordinary to happen, people should be open to the thought of welcoming chaos. For change and growth to take place, it must be recognized that sitting in discomfort is necessary. While this talk is commonly directed to personal human experience, it can also apply to societal structure and its general system.

Social order may be necessary to establish relationships across communities. But a bit of chaos to challenge norms and break useless patterns should be encouraged.

Chaos Encourages Evolution and Growth

Chaos is good. But society should achieve a complete balance between chaos and order for it to thrive and succeed. There shouldn’t be too much of one or the complete eradication of the other.

As with everything else, both should come in moderation – a balance between the two.

Too much chaos can break society into unfixable pieces. On the other hand, too much order will also suffocate the people, pushing them to the edge of rebellion and riots. It’s always a battle between which should prevail. Should the state prioritize giving people the freedom to handle their lives individually, pushing society to a more chaotic state? Or should it enforce strict rules to govern order across?

Evidently, there always exists a conflict between the state and individuals. It’s a grapple for whose desires should be satisfied – a primarily ironic struggle, given how the state merely comprises these individuals. Perhaps it’s easy to miss the beauty in chaos because people’s perspectives are too limited to their own needs that they fail to see the bigger picture.

Quinn’s Dilemma by Bruce N. Ball

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