Day to day Quote by Don DeLillo
““[It] wants you to believe there are foreseeable trends and forces. When in fact it's all random phenomena. You apply mathematics and other disciplines, yes. But in the end you're dealing with a system that's out of control. Hysteria at high speeds, day to day, minute to minute. "People in free societies don't have to fear the pathology of the state. We create our own frenzy, our own mass convulsions, driven by thinking machines that we have no final authority over. The frenzy is barely noticeable most of the time. It's simply how we live.””
About This Quote
Society’s perceived trends are often random, yet we impose order, creating hidden frenzies.
In simple terms: Random events seem ordered, causing hidden chaos.
Question assumptions about control and randomness.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- media analysis
- risk assessment
- policy making
- personal decision‑making
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you differentiate random noise from real trends?
- What safeguards prevent mass hysteria?
Randomness may be overstated, ignoring patterns.