--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is…" description: "\"To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown.\" — Jeanette Winterson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png" --- # To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown. ![“To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown.” quote by Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png) > “To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown.” [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Feeling out of sync with a chaotic world is a sign of misalignment, not personal failure. **In simple terms:** Being out of sync isn’t a breakdown. Key Takeaway Accept misalignment, seek harmony. Themes identity society mental health Mood reflective empathetic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - daily stress - social alienation - career dissatisfaction - relationship strain Key Concepts existentialism psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you recognize when misalignment is external? - What steps can restore personal harmony? A Different Perspective Adapting may be possible; not all chaos can be fixed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Adjusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjusted/) [Adjusted Deranged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjusted-deranged-2944930/) [Breakdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breakdown/) [Deranged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deranged/) [Deranged World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deranged-world-2944929/) [Ill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill/) [Ill Adjusted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ill-adjusted-2666367/) [Inspirational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspirational/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [A man who is ill-adjusted to the world is always on the verge of finding himself. One who is adjusted to the world never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/a-man-who-is-ill-adjusted-to-the-world-is-always-on-the-verge-of/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [“Something as straightforward as a difference could lead to something as complex as a breakdown.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/something-as-straightforward-as-a-difference-could-lead-to-something/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I've adjusted to this, that my books are not going to get unanimously good reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-ve-adjusted-to-this-that-my-books-are-not-going-to-get-unanimously/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I've become completely well adjusted to being a cult figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-ve-become-completely-well-adjusted-to-being-a-cult-figure/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I knew my limitations and the limitations of the courts I played on, and adjusted thusly. I was at my best in bad conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-knew-my-limitations-and-the-limitations-of-the-courts-i-played-on/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [Any time I hear 'border adjustment,' I don't love it. Because usually it means we're going to get adjusted into a bad deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mnuchin/any-time-i-hear-border-adjustment-i-don-t-love-it-because-usually-it/) [Steve Mnuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mnuchin/) > [I'm very active in making sure my children are well-adjusted and balanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanna-moakler/i-m-very-active-in-making-sure-my-children-are-well-adjusted-and/) [Shanna Moakler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanna-moakler/) > [To know God is to be adjusted to daily living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-armand-montapert/to-know-god-is-to-be-adjusted-to-daily-living/) [Alfred Armand Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-armand-montapert/) > [Every game I play, I get more experienced as well as feel more adjusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/every-game-i-play-i-get-more-experienced-as-well-as-feel-more-adjusted/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [I'm not an acting monk or anything. I'm not, like, the most well-adjusted actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/i-m-not-an-acting-monk-or-anything-i-m-not-like-the-most-well/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [I don't have an attitude! And it CERTAINLY... doesn't need to be adjusted!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-guerrero/i-don-t-have-an-attitude-and-it-certainly-doesn-t-need-to-be-adjusted/) [Vickie Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vickie-guerrero/) > [I had barely turned 12 when my parents packed me off to Doon School. I was transported to a world of confusion with 600…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/i-had-barely-turned-12-when-my-parents-packed-me-off-to-doon-school-i/) [Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/) > [These Americans are among the working poor with full-time jobs earning $5.15 an hour. Millions fall into this boat, even more when you consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcy-kaptur/these-americans-are-among-the-working-poor-with-full-time-jobs/) [Marcy Kaptur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcy-kaptur/) > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. But in some ways it's amazing how adjusted society has become to it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-work-family-divide-is-the-biggest-issue-for-american-women-but-in/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [Getting adjusted regularly is part of my goal to win in life and on the field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/getting-adjusted-regularly-is-part-of-my-goal-to-win-in-life-and-on/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) ## More by Jeanette Winterson > [“After nine nights must come ten and every desperate meeting only leaves you desperate for another. There is never enough to eat, never enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/after-nine-nights-must-come-ten-and-every-desperate-meeting-only/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I have found that I am not a space where people want to live, at least not without decorating first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-have-found-that-i-am-not-a-space-where-people-want-to-live-at-least/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Yes. Just pass me my leg will you? It's on top of the wardrobe where he threw it, and I think my right arm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/yes-just-pass-me-my-leg-will-you-it-s-on-top-of-the-wardrobe-where-he/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Every second the Universe divides into possibilities and most of those possibilities never happen. It is not a uni-verse -- there is more than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/every-second-the-universe-divides-into-possibilities-and-most-of/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [You are a pool of clear water where the light plays](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-are-a-pool-of-clear-water-where-the-light-plays/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It's the cliches that cause the trouble. A precise emotion seeks a precise expression. If what I feel is not precise than how should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-s-the-cliches-that-cause-the-trouble-a-precise-emotion-seeks-a/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [What would it have meant to be happy? What would it have meant if things had been bright, clear, good between us?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-would-it-have-meant-to-be-happy-what-would-it-have-meant-if/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“Mrs Ratlow was a widow, and she was head of English, but she still did all the cooking and cleaning for her two sons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/mrs-ratlow-was-a-widow-and-she-was-head-of-english-but-she-still-did/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“I shall have nowt to talk to now the baby is boiled.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/i-shall-have-nowt-to-talk-to-now-the-baby-is-boiled/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“What art does is to coax us away from the mechanical and towards the miraculous. The so-called uselessness of art is a clue to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/what-art-does-is-to-coax-us-away-from-the-mechanical-and-towards-the/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [Happy Valentines Day to those who have found love, in whatever shape or form, and to those who are still hunting, don’t give up.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/happy-valentines-day-to-those-who-have-found-love-in-whatever-shape/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“It took me a long time to realise that there are two kinds of writing: the one you write and the one that writes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-realise-that-there-are-two-kinds-of-writing/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [A curse on this game. How can you stick at a game when the rules keep on changing? I shall call myself Alice and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/a-curse-on-this-game-how-can-you-stick-at-a-game-when-the-rules-keep/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [“He turned away and I turned to him in vivid heat to look on the sun-dried world. The groves and towers were gone. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/he-turned-away-and-i-turned-to-him-in-vivid-heat-to-look-on-the-sun/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) [Explore all 1,016 Jeanette Winterson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) ## More Adjusted quotes > [Getting adjusted regularly is part of my goal to win in life and on the field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-rodgers/getting-adjusted-regularly-is-part-of-my-goal-to-win-in-life-and-on/) [Aaron Rodgers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-rodgers/) > [The work-family divide is the biggest issue for American women. But in some ways it's amazing how adjusted society has become to it. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-collins/the-work-family-divide-is-the-biggest-issue-for-american-women-but-in/) [Gail Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-collins/) > [These Americans are among the working poor with full-time jobs earning $5.15 an hour. Millions fall into this boat, even more when you consider…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcy-kaptur/these-americans-are-among-the-working-poor-with-full-time-jobs/) [Marcy Kaptur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcy-kaptur/) > [I had barely turned 12 when my parents packed me off to Doon School. I was transported to a world of confusion with 600…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/i-had-barely-turned-12-when-my-parents-packed-me-off-to-doon-school-i/) [Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jyotiraditya-madhavrao-scindia/) > [I don't have an attitude! And it CERTAINLY... doesn't need to be adjusted!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vickie-guerrero/i-don-t-have-an-attitude-and-it-certainly-doesn-t-need-to-be-adjusted/) [Vickie Guerrero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vickie-guerrero/) > [I'm not an acting monk or anything. I'm not, like, the most well-adjusted actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-driver/i-m-not-an-acting-monk-or-anything-i-m-not-like-the-most-well/) [Adam Driver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-driver/) > [Every game I play, I get more experienced as well as feel more adjusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-lee/every-game-i-play-i-get-more-experienced-as-well-as-feel-more-adjusted/) [David Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-lee/) > [To know God is to be adjusted to daily living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-armand-montapert/to-know-god-is-to-be-adjusted-to-daily-living/) [Alfred Armand Montapert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-armand-montapert/) > [I'm very active in making sure my children are well-adjusted and balanced.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shanna-moakler/i-m-very-active-in-making-sure-my-children-are-well-adjusted-and/) [Shanna Moakler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shanna-moakler/) > [Any time I hear 'border adjustment,' I don't love it. Because usually it means we're going to get adjusted into a bad deal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-mnuchin/any-time-i-hear-border-adjustment-i-don-t-love-it-because-usually-it/) [Steve Mnuchin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-mnuchin/) > [I knew my limitations and the limitations of the courts I played on, and adjusted thusly. I was at my best in bad conditions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/i-knew-my-limitations-and-the-limitations-of-the-courts-i-played-on/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [I've become completely well adjusted to being a cult figure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-reed/i-ve-become-completely-well-adjusted-to-being-a-cult-figure/) [Lou Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-reed/) > [I've adjusted to this, that my books are not going to get unanimously good reviews.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-heller/i-ve-adjusted-to-this-that-my-books-are-not-going-to-get-unanimously/) [Joseph Heller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-heller/) > [I ma trying to feel more well adjusted than I really am, which is, I guess, the human condition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/i-ma-trying-to-feel-more-well-adjusted-than-i-really-am-which-is-i/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [I feel like I'm a relatively well-adjusted person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-mooney/i-feel-like-i-m-a-relatively-well-adjusted-person/) [Kyle Mooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-mooney/) [Browse all 51 Adjusted quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adjusted/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jeanette Winterson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-is-not-a-breakdown/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adjusted" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-is-not-a-breakdown/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fb2/jeanette-winterson-166_adjusted_to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-i_2729641.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“To be ill adjusted to a deranged world is not a breakdown.” — Jeanette Winterson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jeanette Winterson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "To be ill adjusted to a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-is-not-a-breakdown/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/to-be-ill-adjusted-to-a-deranged-world-is-not-a-breakdown/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```