English idiom: (a) method to (one’s) madness

The idiom which is going to be discussed here in this post is Method to my madness, so notice the following example to start understanding the meaning of this popular idiom:

Joe: What are you doing with your cellphone?
Mike: I’m trying to start my car.   
Joe: But it is very strange for me and you look crazy by this way of starting your car.
Mike: You are right, but there’s a method in my madness.  

As you can see from the above example, there is something strange with starting the car Mike knows how to start it even though it seems crazy but this is the way in which his car is going to start.  

Method to my madness
A method in my madness

Meaning: 

• An assertion that, despite one’s approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.
• a purpose in doing something that is seemingly crazy
• there’s a reason for someone’s strange behaviour
• there’s a plan behind the odd behaviour of a person

 Idiom #256
Method to my madness

This idiom is used to say that despite one’s approach seeming random, there actually is structure to it.

To know more about this idiom let’s check the definition of this idiom in some great dictionaries:

Method to my madness
A method in my madness

Cambridge:
You have a good reason for what you are doing, although you seem to be behaving strangely

Dictionary.com:
There is often a plan behind a person’s apparently inexplicable behaviour. Based on a line from Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Origin:
As you can understand from the above explanations, this idiom is related to a specific, rational purpose in what one is doing or planning, even though it may appear crazy or absurd to another person. It is usually used in the phrase “have/there is a(a) method to (one’s) madness.

It means my way of thinking is so bizarre, that I could not explain it to you if you asked me. But it makes sense to me and that’s all that matters

It is originated from the phrase “Though this is madness, yet there is the method isn’t.” in Shakespeare’s Hamlet.  

Photo
Method to my madness

Let’s take a look at some examples of this idiom to understand it better:

• There was a method to my madness when I put the ice cream in the fridge upside down.
• We may think that he has gone crazy, but there’s a method to his madness.
• When she’s working on her projects it seems she’s out of her mind, but when she finishes, you’ll see that there’s a method in her madness.
• Even though I may seem to do irrational things but taking all things into account, there’s a method to all my madness.
• He used to live very disorganizedly and strangely, but later we realized that there was a method in his madness.
• He usually talks to himself loudly when he thinks to make a decision, but he insists there is a method in his madness.
• You can’t understand my motivation for achieving success, but if you can understand me you’ll see that there is a method to my madness.

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