> In a lecture about the universal characteristics of classical architecture, professor Nathaniel Walker argued that human beings crave two things: order and va

> In a lecture about the universal characteristics of classical architecture, professor Nathaniel Walker argued that human beings crave two things: order and variety. If there's too much order, it's boring and oppressive. If there's too much variety, it's chaotic and unpleasant. In his view, classical architecture all over the world aims at creating a "delicate balance between order and variety." I keep coming back to this. I think this is a such a fundamental truth across all walks of life and design. I see this again and again and again in systems design. I cringe when I see JavaScript take over the world because it is so free and chaotic. But I cringe equally when I hear folks talk about how they're going to enslave all computing to provable stuff. Well done systems are a balance between rigidity/order and malleabilty/nondeterminism.