In all the years I taught Clutter-Clearing Classes at Clark (just so I could alliterate), we focused on the problems of garden variety TMS (Too Much Stuff), because very few of my students admitted to hoarding.
My perspective on the differences among these problems expanded after hearing an interview with Rebecca Falkoff, about her new book, Possessed: A Cultural History of Hoarding.
But first, some definitions:
- Clutter: too much stuff for the space allotted, such that it looks messy and distracting. It’s often the result of being busy and/or not paying attention. Given anywhere from a few minutes to a few days of effort, the space can be cleared without a whole lot of personal distress. We’ve all been there.
- Hoarding: so much clutter and disorganization that spaces can no longer be used as intended and the person’s health or safety may be threatened. Two separate behaviors are involved:
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- The urge to acquire stuff, which remains unfulfilled by acquiring. The search and acquisition is pleasurable, though short-lived.
- The inability to let the stuff go when it’s neither needed or useful. Letting go is very distressing.
- Collecting: there may be a lot of Stuff, but collectors typically focus on particular kinds of objects, each item of which is different from the others. The collection is organized and often is set up for display so that others can appreciate it. It is interesting (at least to the collector) and may be valuable. This is what I tell myself as I sort through my growing heap of Lego bins and admire my current display of favorite models.
Questions that arose for me after the podcast discussion…
- Is what we call “hoarding” an issue of class? A person with little money can’t afford the space to hold their accumulations. But when a wealthy person has a lot of Stuff (several homes, boats, art), society is impressed; we think it’s a mark of success. It doesn’t look like hoarding because the wealthy have the square footage to house it all. For example, in the last 20 years of his life, the “collector” JP Morgan spent $900 million (in today’s dollars) acquiring manuscripts and art, but he had “houses on his houses,” as my mom used to say—one of which is now a fabulous museum and library.
- Are the super wealthy hoarders of money? Like how much does a person need to feel they have enough? And at what cost to society? Is it a bit like a kid hoarding his Halloween candy, not caring so much about eating it himself, but wanting to make sure his siblings don’t get any of it?
- Who belongs to what, or vice versa? We call our Stuff, our belongings. At what point do we belong to (are run by) our Stuff? Do we imagine that having more stuff will help us feel more like we belong? As George Carlin once said, “Trying to be happy by accumulating possessions is like trying to satisfy hunger by taping sandwiches all over your body.”
What do you think?
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