system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How in the world do cords get so tangled. 

Besides the obvious pocket trolls.
gpt
I'd say it all comes down to probability. 


Say every cord movement shifts an infinite number of cord segments, and each segment could either 

1. cross another segment, or 

2. remain free/open to be crossed by another 

The parameter is that once a cord is crossed, it stands a very minuscule chance of un-crossing without outside influence, so therefore every crossed segment virtually loses its option to "remain free," and may only stay crossed or become crossed again.


Play this out over x movements in your pocket, and really the only result possible is that of you pulling out a god damn mess!


Solution: you can influence the crosses by crossing them yourself in a manner that allows no further crosses nor regression to a free state AKA roll that shit up or tape it down!