'When knowledge accumulates ceaselessly but at random, it increases the desire for a system' — Raymond Aron

"Aron [1905-1983] was one of Jean-Paul Sartre's most formidable intellectual rivals," wrote S. S. Fair in the first paragraph of her essay entitled "The Case For Authoritarian Skin Care," which appeared in the October 21, 2007 New York Times Magazine Style "T" supplement.

I was struck by the after-the-fact utility of Aron's epigram in explaining the rise of Google.

Fair continued, "Aron had Marxist materialism in mind, but he makes the case equally well for skin care."

You could also apply Aron's observation to the seemingly innate human tendency to find order or a logical narrative when presented with many seemingly unrelated but apparently relevant facts.