--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world, that understandable and lawful…" description: "\"“The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. Once there was this and that; and now-and the ship had gone.”\" — William Golding" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e00/william-golding-1233_slipping-away_the-world-that-understandable-and-lawful_2537302.png" --- # The world, that understandable and lawful world, was… ![“The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. Once there was this and that; and now-and the ship had gone.” quote by William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e00/william-golding-1233_slipping-away_the-world-that-understandable-and-lawful_2537302.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e00/william-golding-1233_slipping-away_the-world-that-understandable-and-lawful_2537302.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e00/william-golding-1233_slipping-away_the-world-that-understandable-and-lawful_2537302.png) > ““The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. Once there was this and that; and now-and the ship had gone.”” [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The orderly world is disintegrating, leaving chaos and loss of direction. **In simple terms:** Order is fading into chaos. Key Takeaway Prepare for uncertainty and loss of structure. Themes chaos loss change Mood anxious reflective Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - societal breakdown - personal crisis - environmental disaster - political upheaval Key Concepts Anarchic collapse human nature Questions to Reflect On - What signs indicate a world slipping away? - How do you maintain stability amid chaos? A Different Perspective Some may cling to false order. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-world-that-understandable-and-lawful-world-was-slipping-away/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [When I was 15, I came downstairs one morning, picked up mother's newspaper and, oh, what a shock! The Titanic had gone. The 'unsinkable'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-allingham/when-i-was-15-i-came-downstairs-one-morning-picked-up-mother-s/) [Henry Allingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-allingham/) > [“We passed the dry dock and then it and the ship were gone. It would be a number of years before I got a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-a-goodman/we-passed-the-dry-dock-and-then-it-and-the-ship-were-gone-it-would-be/) [David A. Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-a-goodman/) > [It's surprising that the world is understandable to the extent that it is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-boyden/it-s-surprising-that-the-world-is-understandable-to-the-extent-that/) [Edward Boyden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-boyden/) > [After a crisis we tell ourselves we understand why it happened and maintain the illusion that the world is understandable. In fact, we should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/after-a-crisis-we-tell-ourselves-we-understand-why-it-happened-and/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [“...she is living on the outskirts of a precious world that is slipping away. On the other side of this window, events take their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-dickner/she-is-living-on-the-outskirts-of-a-precious-world-that-is-slipping/) Nicholas Dickner > [“We may feel the world is slipping out of our hands and recognize that the core of our conceived blueprint is escaping us. Let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-pevernagie/we-may-feel-the-world-is-slipping-out-of-our-hands-and-recognize-that/) [Erik Pevernagie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-pevernagie/) > [“Almost like being in the nightmare, that same feverish blur of the world slipping off its axis, but this time he was the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-ness/almost-like-being-in-the-nightmare-that-same-feverish-blur-of-the/) [Patrick Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-ness/) > [“Towards parties and the banks of streams and ponds, along which young boys would pace out hours in silence after taking the freckled shoulders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-powers/towards-parties-and-the-banks-of-streams-and-ponds-along-which-young/) [Kevin Powers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-powers/) > [I see that that 'American dream' is slipping away because we're not solving the problems of today, we're not planning for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/i-see-that-that-american-dream-is-slipping-away-because-we-re-not/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) > [Can you spend a little time, time is slipping away. Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make. Make you glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-wanted/can-you-spend-a-little-time-time-is-slipping-away-away-from-us-so/) [The Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-wanted/) > [“Some loves are like the tide. Like water washing over you then slipping through your fingers. They come and they go. They come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/some-loves-are-like-the-tide-like-water-washing-over-you-then/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [There is a reason people in America are disappointed and restless. If opportunity seems like it's been slipping away, that's because it has. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/there-is-a-reason-people-in-america-are-disappointed-and-restless-if/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [The frustrating part is knowing that you've done it before, knowing that you can play, but then your game starts going down the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-fleetwood/the-frustrating-part-is-knowing-that-you-ve-done-it-before-knowing/) [Tommy Fleetwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-fleetwood/) > [Im a farmer. I always will be a farmer. When I die, Ill be a farmer. Its something that Ive wanted to do since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/im-a-farmer-i-always-will-be-a-farmer-when-i-die-ill-be-a-farmer-its/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) ## More by William Golding > [Heaven lies around us in our infancy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/heaven-lies-around-us-in-our-infancy/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Sucks to your ass-mar!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/sucks-to-your-ass-mar/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man's heart, and the fall through the air of the true, wise friend called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/ralph-wept-for-the-end-of-innocence-the-darkness-of-man-s-heart-and/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“Once more, amid the breeze, the shouting, the slanting sunlight on the high mountain, was shed that glamour, that strange invisible light of friendship,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/once-more-amid-the-breeze-the-shouting-the-slanting-sunlight-on-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“There ought to be some mode of life where all love is good, where one love can't compete with another but adds to it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/there-ought-to-be-some-mode-of-life-where-all-love-is-good-where-one/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [His mind was crowded with memories; memories of the knowledge that had come to them when they closed in on the struggling pig, knowledge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/his-mind-was-crowded-with-memories-memories-of-the-knowledge-that-had/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I stood, in shame and confusion, seeing for the first time despite my anger a different picture of Evie in her life-long struggle to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-stood-in-shame-and-confusion-seeing-for-the-first-time-despite-my/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [When you take a child who's hollering like hell, sit him on your knee, and say "once upon a time", you stop him hollering.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/when-you-take-a-child-who-s-hollering-like-hell-sit-him-on-your-knee/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I am here; and here is nowhere in particular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-am-here-and-here-is-nowhere-in-particular/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-beast-was-harmless-and-horrible-and-the-news-must-reach-the/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“He tried to convey the compulsion to track down and kill that was swallowing him up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/he-tried-to-convey-the-compulsion-to-track-down-and-kill-that-was/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [I'm scared of him," said Piggy, "and that's why I know him. If you're scared of someone you hate him but you can't stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-m-scared-of-him-said-piggy-and-that-s-why-i-know-him-if-you-re/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [The trouble was, if you were a chief you had to think, you had to be wise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/the-trouble-was-if-you-were-a-chief-you-had-to-think-you-had-to-be/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“But nobody else understands about the fire. If someone threw you a rope when you were drowning. If a doctor said take this because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/but-nobody-else-understands-about-the-fire-if-someone-threw-you-a/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) > [“I think women are foolish to pretend that they are equal to men, they are far superior and always have been.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-golding/i-think-women-are-foolish-to-pretend-that-they-are-equal-to-men-they/) [William Golding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) [Explore all 263 William Golding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-golding/) ## More Slipping away quotes > [Im a farmer. I always will be a farmer. When I die, Ill be a farmer. Its something that Ive wanted to do since…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tester/im-a-farmer-i-always-will-be-a-farmer-when-i-die-ill-be-a-farmer-its/) [Jon Tester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tester/) > [Can you spend a little time, time is slipping away. Away from us so stay, stay with me I can make. Make you glad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-wanted/can-you-spend-a-little-time-time-is-slipping-away-away-from-us-so/) [The Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-wanted/) > [“Some loves are like the tide. Like water washing over you then slipping through your fingers. They come and they go. They come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-mcgahan/some-loves-are-like-the-tide-like-water-washing-over-you-then/) [Kate McGahan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-mcgahan/) > [There is a reason people in America are disappointed and restless. If opportunity seems like it's been slipping away, that's because it has. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/there-is-a-reason-people-in-america-are-disappointed-and-restless-if/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [I see that that 'American dream' is slipping away because we're not solving the problems of today, we're not planning for the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-messam/i-see-that-that-american-dream-is-slipping-away-because-we-re-not/) [Wayne Messam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-messam/) > [The frustrating part is knowing that you've done it before, knowing that you can play, but then your game starts going down the wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-fleetwood/the-frustrating-part-is-knowing-that-you-ve-done-it-before-knowing/) [Tommy Fleetwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-fleetwood/) > [He was only twenty-five.He was young enough to miss his youth just as it was slipping away. The worst kind of loss-the one that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-forrest/he-was-only-twenty-five-he-was-young-enough-to-miss-his-youth-just-as/) [Emma Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-forrest/) > [Ever have that feeling that an old friendship is slipping away...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ever-have-that-feeling-that-an-old-friendship-is-slipping-away/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“She stared at her face in the mirror, feeling everything around her slipping away. The face stared back, and she wondered who was looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-derouen/she-stared-at-her-face-in-the-mirror-feeling-everything-around-her/) [Joe DeRouen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-derouen/) > [“In the beginning, she had hauted me, haunted my dreams, but even now, just weeks later, she was slipping away, falling apart in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/in-the-beginning-she-had-hauted-me-haunted-my-dreams-but-even-now/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Mostly I've just been stealing little moments for myself in order to write - in the bathroom at a hotel, or just slipping away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrianne-lenker/mostly-i-ve-just-been-stealing-little-moments-for-myself-in-order-to/) [Adrianne Lenker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrianne-lenker/) > [Some people drift through their entire life. They do it one day at a time, one week at a time, one month at a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-kay-ash/some-people-drift-through-their-entire-life-they-do-it-one-day-at-a/) [Mary Kay Ash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-kay-ash/) > [I am always in a rush because time is slipping away, and I am chasing it, chasing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dev-anand/i-am-always-in-a-rush-because-time-is-slipping-away-and-i-am-chasing/) [Dev Anand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dev-anand/) > [Feel like slipping away, stand in the corner and scream with me. A body full of empty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mudvayne/feel-like-slipping-away-stand-in-the-corner-and-scream-with-me-a-body/) [Mudvayne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mudvayne/) > [Everything changes once you start trying to market the film. Part of you feels like everything is slipping away from you. For me, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taika-waititi/everything-changes-once-you-start-trying-to-market-the-film-part-of/) [Taika Waititi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taika-waititi/) Browse all 67 Slipping away quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The world, that understandable and lawful world, was slipping away. 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