The world is a higgledy-piggledy place, containing things pleasant and things unpleasant in haphazard sequence. And the desire to make an intelligible system or pattern out of it ( = the world) is at bottom an outcome of fear, in fact a kind of agoraphobia or dread of open spaces. Within the four walls of his library the timid student feels safe.
Source: Bertrand Russell: The Conquest of Happiness, 1930, Chap.11:Zest
More info.: https://russell-j.com/beginner/HA23-030.HTM
* a brief comment:
People tend to feel either interest or fear and anxiety toward things they cannot understand.
This tendency can be observed even in newborn babies. In the earliest days of life, they find comfort in the voices of their mother or father, while unfamiliar voices may cause unease or even make them cry. This likely stems from the distinction between the voices they became accustomed to while in the womb and those they did not.
Such a tendency continues throughout life. However, as one gains a variety of experiences and accumulates knowledge, their understanding of the world deepens, and the world gradually becomes a more livable place.
That said, it is important to recognize that how one sees the world can differ significantly depending on one's country or culture. Japan may be considered a major country in terms of population, but its land area is small, and it lacks abundant natural resources. In order to survive in this often conflict-ridden world, Japan must make considerable efforts. One such effort is the improvement of education that fosters understanding of people from many different countries.
In contrast, in major powers like the United States and China, education aimed at understanding the world is not necessarily adequate. In the United States, for example, advanced cities on the East and West coasts provide a reasonable level of education about global politics, economics, and culture. But in the Midwest, such education seems relatively lacking, which is apparent even through daily news and media coverage.
If you've followed the argument so far and found it convincing, you may now better understand what Russell was trying to convey in the following passage for today's quote. (It is that people often feel fear -- even terror -- toward what they do not know or cannot understand.)
"The world is a higgledy-piggledy place, containing things pleasant and things unpleasant in haphazard sequence. And the desire to make an intelligible system or pattern out of it is at bottom an outcome of fear, in fact a kind of agoraphobia or dread of open spaces. Within the four walls of his library the timid student feels safe."
