There's method in the madness
Meaning: Apparent chaos may have an underlying purpose.
Origin: Adapted from Shakespeare's Hamlet (c. 1600). Polonius, listening to the prince's apparently mad talk, notices that the answers are strangely pointed: "Though this be madness, yet there is method in't." The audience knows Hamlet is only pretending, so the old counselor is closer to the truth than he realizes.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Il y a une méthode dans la folie (literally: There is method in the madness)
- Spanish: Hay un método en la locura (literally: There is a method in the madness)
- Japanese: 狂気の中にも理あり (Kyōki no naka ni mo ri ari) (literally: There is reason even in madness)
- German: Wenn dies auch Wahnsinn ist, so hat es doch Methode (literally: Even if this be madness, it nonetheless has method)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- The devil is in the details — Small details can cause major problems.
- All good things must come to an end — Nothing pleasant lasts forever.
- Half a loaf is better than none — Something is better than nothing.
- Don't reinvent the wheel — Don't waste effort on solved problems.
- Don't put the cart before the horse — Do things in the correct order.
- Two wrongs don't make a right, but three lefts do — Sometimes unconventional paths lead to correct outcomes.