--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: He said that the principal function of…" description: "\"“He said that the principal function of music was to organize the details into harmonies that were intended to make us forget that there was randomness..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/seldon-edwards-276983_books_he-said-that-the-principal-function-of-m_2322330.jpg" --- # He said that the principal function of music was to… ![“He said that the principal function of music was to organize the details into harmonies that were intended to make us forget that there was randomness all around us. The same, he said, could be said for great books.” quote by Seldon Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/seldon-edwards-276983_books_he-said-that-the-principal-function-of-m_2322330.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/seldon-edwards-276983_books_he-said-that-the-principal-function-of-m_2322330.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/019/seldon-edwards-276983_books_he-said-that-the-principal-function-of-m_2322330.jpg) > ““He said that the principal function of music was to organize the details into harmonies that were intended to make us forget that there was randomness all around us. The same, he said, could be said for great books.”” Seldon Edwards ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Music organizes chaotic details into harmonious patterns, helping us forget randomness; similarly, great books achieve this order in thought. **In simple terms:** Music and books bring order to chaos. Key Takeaway Use art to create mental harmony. Themes music books order chaos randomness Mood calming inspired Type reflective philosophical When to use this quote - listening sessions - reading groups - creative workshops Key Concepts aesthetics cognitive psychology literature Questions to Reflect On - How does music calm your mind? - What book gave you a sense of order? A Different Perspective Art cannot erase all randomness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Harmonies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harmonies/) [Music](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/music/) [Randomness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/randomness/) ## Related quotes > [To the large extent that music can organize our perceptions of our own bodies and emotions, it can tell us things about history that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-mcclary/to-the-large-extent-that-music-can-organize-our-perceptions-of-our/) [Susan McClary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-mcclary/) > [The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/the-function-of-music-is-to-release-us-from-the-tyranny-of-conscious/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I don't know how to function without music. When I'm not making it, I'm listening to it. 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I started with the bass, and either doubled that and then added the harmonies, or sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petra-haden/the-bass-line-is-the-anchor-for-me-i-started-with-the-bass-and-either/) [Petra Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petra-haden/) > [There's music to dance to and make love to, music to cry to. I'm starting from scratch, coming fresh. But my sound still embodies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/el-debarge/there-s-music-to-dance-to-and-make-love-to-music-to-cry-to-i-m/) [El DeBarge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/el-debarge/) ## More Books quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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Krebs > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. 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Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) Markus Herz > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“He said that the principal function of music was to organize the details into harmonies that were intended to make us forget that there was randomness all around us. 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