March 14, 2025

Chaos Is A Ladder

When I binge-watched Game of Thrones way back in 2019, there was one particular scene that absolutely jumped off the screen at me.

It wasn’t the red wedding or Hodor’s final reveal or Cersei’s walk of shame.

It was Littlefinger disagreeing with Varys about chaos.

For those who have never seen the show, here’s a really good AI summary:

”Chaos is a ladder” is a famous quote from Game of Thrones, spoken by Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, meaning that chaos, rather than a pit, can be a tool for climbing the social and power ladder, by sowing discord and capitalizing on the ensuing confusion.

Here’s a more detailed explanation:

Origin:

The phrase “Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder” is spoken by Petyr Baelish (Littlefinger) in season 3 of Game of Thrones during a conversation with Varys.

Meaning:

Littlefinger’s philosophy is that chaos can be a means to an end, a way to gain power and influence. He believes that by creating instability and disorder, he can then exploit the situation to his advantage.

Example:

In the show, Littlefinger uses this philosophy to manipulate events and people, often sowing discord and chaos to achieve his goals.

Full Quote:

The full quote is: “Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder. Many who try to climb it fail and never get to try again. The fall breaks them. And some, are given a chance to climb. They refuse, they cling to the realm or the gods or love. Illusions. Only the ladder is real. The climb is all there is.”

Here’s the thing...

If you’re in the business of making change happen for your clients (and, spoiler alert - you are), then the status quo is your enemy.

And guess what weakens the status quo?

Chaos.

To be clear...

I’m not saying you should purposely CREATE chaos to achieve your ends.

But if chaos is thrust upon you, you might as well use it to your advantage.

Yours,

—J