Hold down shift as you click on the column headers. This will give you #1, #2, #3 etc. in the logical order as you click them.
If you don't hold down shift, then they get applied in reverse, so, in the order you clicked, you would end up with #3, #2, #1.
Sorting can get complex quite quickly. Here's an approach I use, simply because it works for me...
- Go to "Options > Tree & View > Sorting" and uncheck "Save changes on list header clicks"
- In view schemes, set the desired sorting via "Customise View", in the "Set rules for file display" dialogue.
With that done, the sorting is locked in. Now, you can make temporary changes to the sorting via column header clicks, or the search field in the top right corner, and when done, a simple refresh of the view returns the sorting to that specified in the customise view tool.
This approach works well for a good 90+% of view locations in my library. Depending how and where you use your MC, it might work for you too.
Personally, the column clicking thing always made my head hurt :D