Consider cotton prices," Malcolm said. "There are good records of cotton prices going back more than a hundred years. When you study fluctuations in cotton prices, you find that the graph of price fluctuations in the course of a day looks basically like the graph for a week, which looks basically like the graph for a year, or for ten years. And that's how things are. A day is like a whole life. You start out doing one thing, but end up doing something else, plan to run an errand, but never get there... And at the end of your life, your whole existence has that same haphazard quality, too. Your whole life has the same shape as a single day.
by Michael Crichton
(0 Reviews)

In Michael Crichton's "Jurassic Park," the character Malcolm draws a comparison between the fluctuations of cotton prices and the unpredictability of life. He observes that price trends over different time frames—whether daily, weekly, or annually—mirror each other, demonstrating a pattern of chaos. This idea reflects the nature of daily experiences, where one starts with intentions but may end up diverging from their original plans.

Malcolm suggests that life mirrors this daily unpredictability. Just as a day can deviate from its initial purpose, so can an entire lifetime, characterized by unforeseen changes and the lack of control over circumstances. Ultimately, he implies that both a single day and a full life share a chaotic structure, where intent and outcome can differ greatly, leading to a sense of randomness in both existence and experiences.

Stats

Categories
Votes
0
Page views
4
Update
January 28, 2025

Rate the Quote

Add Comment & Review

User Reviews

Based on 0 reviews
5 Star
0
4 Star
0
3 Star
0
2 Star
0
1 Star
0
Add Comment & Review
We'll never share your email with anyone else.
More »

Other quotes in Jurassic Park

More »

Popular quotes

My life amounts to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops?
by David Mitchell
A half-read book is a half-finished love affair.
by David Mitchell
The pollenless trees were genomed to repel bugs and birds; the stagnant air reeked of insecticide.
by David Mitchell
Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others, past and present, and by each crime and every kindness, we birth our future.
by David Mitchell
Travel far enough, you meet yourself.
by David Mitchell
I believe there is another world waiting for us. A better world. And I'll be waiting for you there.
by David Mitchell
A random sequence of seemingly unrelated events.
by David Mitchell
People pontificate, "Suicide is selfishness." Career churchmen like Pater go a step further and call in a cowardly assault on the living. Oafs argue this specious line for varying reason: to evade fingers of blame, to impress one's audience with one's mental fiber, to vent anger, or just because one lacks the necessary suffering to sympathize. Cowardice is nothing to do with it - suicide takes considerable courage. Japanese have the right idea. No, what's selfish is to demand another to endure an intolerable existence, just to spare families, friends, and enemies a bit of soul-searching.
by David Mitchell
You say you're 'depressed' - all i see is resilience. You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn't mean you're defective - it just means you're human.
by David Mitchell
Books don't offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw.
by David Mitchell