The protagonist of Joseph Heller's "Catch-22" wakes up feeling disoriented and experiencing mild pain in his head. As he opens his eyes, he is confronted with a chaotic world that, despite its turmoil, operates under its own set of rules and order. This contrast highlights the absurdity of war and the complexities of reality as perceived by the characters in the novel.

This opening scene sets the tone for the rest of the book, which explores themes of madness and the illogical nature of military bureaucracy. The phrase reflects the protagonist's struggle to find sense in a world that seems irrational, suggesting that even amid chaos, there is a strange form of order that governs their lives.