Life Quote by Margaret Mahy
““This was the hidden machinery of life, not a clean, clinical well-oiled engine, monitored by a thousand meticulous dials, but a crazy, stumbling contraption made up of strange things roughly fitted together – things like a huge water tap, the dogleg stairs, cheese in the soap dish, and a crocheted tea cosy stiff with dirt and topped by a doll’s broken face.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Changeover, Margaret Mahy, 1984
Life is messy and improvised, not a perfect machine; it consists of odd, mismatched parts that somehow work together.
In simple terms: Life is messy, not perfect.
Key Takeaway
Embrace imperfection and improvise.
Themes
imperfection
creativity
resilience
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- family dynamics
- creative projects
- problem solving
- adapting to change
Key Concepts
systems theory
emergent order
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you find order in chaos?
- What odd elements in your life contribute to its richness?
A Different Perspective
Not all problems can be solved by precise control; sometimes chaos is necessary.
![“This is the strange thing about existing in time. As [Philip] Larkin puts it, "truly, though our element is time, we are not used to the strange perspectives open at each moment of our lives" - something like that.” quote by Quentin S. Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/351/quentin-s-crisp-4149_elements_this-is-the-strange-thing-about-existing_83503.jpg)
