I remember maybe 20 years ago when TV pundits were exclaiming over the change in income tax laws, meaning they'd pay less, what a good thing! And I thought, for you. Meanwhile the government cuts food stamps. For me.
38
Why the 2 children? Otherwise well written.
52
I have never heard of the decluttering movement, but I learned my lesson about 20 years ago when I had to move out of my rented room to leave the country for a year. I was a poor graduate student, deeply in debt, and could not understand how I could have collected so much stuff in 7 years, and how I managed to keep it all in one small room with one small closet. About 80% of my belongings were donated to a local thrift store.
I find myself back in that same small room, and continue to fight the battle against stuff. Anything that I have that I don't end up using gets sent to a charity thrift store. I have sent piles of paperwork to free shredding events and moved nearly everything online. I no longer have a TV, and only watch things on my PC. I marvel at the amount of stuff that people save who have their own houses. They don't even know what a lot of it is, and it spends years sitting in boxes, just rotting away and taking up space. So I don't feel like I'm missing out by renting out my little room for about 25% of the price of a one bedroom apartment.
I didn't need to read a best seller. It had absolutely nothing to do with feeling superior or out of condescencion (weird ideas). It just happened in response to a difficult change in my life, and it has made me happier and allowed me to save quite a bit of money.
I find myself back in that same small room, and continue to fight the battle against stuff. Anything that I have that I don't end up using gets sent to a charity thrift store. I have sent piles of paperwork to free shredding events and moved nearly everything online. I no longer have a TV, and only watch things on my PC. I marvel at the amount of stuff that people save who have their own houses. They don't even know what a lot of it is, and it spends years sitting in boxes, just rotting away and taking up space. So I don't feel like I'm missing out by renting out my little room for about 25% of the price of a one bedroom apartment.
I didn't need to read a best seller. It had absolutely nothing to do with feeling superior or out of condescencion (weird ideas). It just happened in response to a difficult change in my life, and it has made me happier and allowed me to save quite a bit of money.
52
As my mother - the great organizer - would say: Messy house, messy life, messy mind.
37
Even the comments seem to reflect a class bias! I am willing to bet that at least some of the folks so critical of the author's "stuff" spend more on specialty drinks for themselves than many families spend on groceries.
75
I see this first and foremost as an American/US problem. Having lived for almost 10 years in 4 different Asian countries, and Italy in the distant past, I can say that there is definitely no other country that produces, sells and has so much "stuff". From home decorative items, to kids' stuff, kitchen gadgets, tacky souvenirs, sports memorabilia and on and on. We are all so used to having this stuff around us, that it is now considered a normal part of our environment. I now live out of 6 suitcases and with rented furniture.
62
So many variations. Work 80 hour weeks and you have no time to sort and toss but then you are not buying much but the build up is still there. Toss virtuously to get attention and allow a shopping addiction to luxuriate in replacements, repeat. Trendy replacements to removed clutter surely have a socioeconomic subtext. Wastefulness as status. Not being able to afford the dump fee, not so much status. True hoarding. Belief what you have has value (really bad antiques! or massive Victorian furniture). Endless. The avoidance in my case is moving a lot, cross country and across oceans. No clutter but a bit too Spartan. Spartan is not the same as minimal.
29
Have any of these fad-dicts considered that Kondo is mostly concerned with helping Kondo?
--and that being less judgmental would, perhaps, bring more peace than de-cluttering could possibly provide.
--and that being less judgmental would, perhaps, bring more peace than de-cluttering could possibly provide.
61
What I take from this piece, and from the comments it has generated, is how important it is for us not to judge one another. We don't know why someone keeps things that another person would throw away, just like we don't know why another person chooses to declutter their space or adopt a more minimalist lifestyle.
I can relate to Ms. Land's story about not having enough money to live on and needing to keep things for several good reasons. Most of my adult life has been spent living paycheck to paycheck. I have never owned a piece of furniture that did not come from the street, a garage sale, or Ikea.
However, I love Marie Kondo's approach. I appreciate the idea of buying and keeping only what you need and enjoy. This approach has helped me save money and waste less stuff. Things that I would have tossed aside as too worn out are now mended and reused. It has influenced me to waste less food as well, and evaluate what I buy and why I feel the need to buy it.
I am now creating a small nest egg after paying off my credit card debt. Saving money was something that felt like a luxury before.
Let's not generalize too much about other people. Not everyone who struggles economically is ill served by this "fad". To me, it's not a fad, but returning to the frugal lifestyle of my grandparents, something I think a lot of us are doing.
I can relate to Ms. Land's story about not having enough money to live on and needing to keep things for several good reasons. Most of my adult life has been spent living paycheck to paycheck. I have never owned a piece of furniture that did not come from the street, a garage sale, or Ikea.
However, I love Marie Kondo's approach. I appreciate the idea of buying and keeping only what you need and enjoy. This approach has helped me save money and waste less stuff. Things that I would have tossed aside as too worn out are now mended and reused. It has influenced me to waste less food as well, and evaluate what I buy and why I feel the need to buy it.
I am now creating a small nest egg after paying off my credit card debt. Saving money was something that felt like a luxury before.
Let's not generalize too much about other people. Not everyone who struggles economically is ill served by this "fad". To me, it's not a fad, but returning to the frugal lifestyle of my grandparents, something I think a lot of us are doing.
240
I find most of these comments illustrate the huge gap between the haves and have little in our country.
I can only imagine how I would read a story about de cluttering if I was looking around at second and third hand bare necessities. When you run out of money, totally out not a penny on Wednesday afternoon and you don't ' get paid until Friday, clutter sounds like a pretty silly problem
I take the authors point to heart. You may need to throw out duplicates and unused stuff,( but give anything still usable to it to a resale shop. )
This is a problem lots of people would like to have.
I can only imagine how I would read a story about de cluttering if I was looking around at second and third hand bare necessities. When you run out of money, totally out not a penny on Wednesday afternoon and you don't ' get paid until Friday, clutter sounds like a pretty silly problem
I take the authors point to heart. You may need to throw out duplicates and unused stuff,( but give anything still usable to it to a resale shop. )
This is a problem lots of people would like to have.
34
Did your daughters have a father? Did he not contribute support? Did you plan for having children? I'd need more information to sympathize. Lots of kids don't have their own room!
41
Thank you for this, and thank you, NYT, for printing a perspective from folks not normally featured in your pages, except in the 'neediest cases.' How about more articles from the POV of the working classes? Could be instructional for those of your readers who are far removed, and given the decreased class mobility of the last decades, or have never experienced want or need.
46
I agree "de-cluttering" is just the latest fad amongst those with too much time and money on their hands, just like paying for yoga and gym memberships and bragging about how hard you work out. Decluttering can be cleaning out your parent's house, but mostly the fad is bragging about how much you have.
15
I agree with some commenters that the core reason of having too much stuff is consumer economy. While one can somewhat modify one's situation and resist the temptations, it's impossible to fully control every impulse. This pressure to acquire is pervasive, manifests itself in goods as well as services and applies to all social layers. What I know from experience is when I had less growing up and in my youth, I craved the goods more because they represented happier life. I know better now and try to minimize consumption to free my time and resources, but it's not easy and I still have clutter. I think this problem will persist until we find a new economic model, not based on overproduction with corresponding side effects.
23
What evidence do you have that people lining up for Black Friday deals are in fact poor, and that poor people don’t have much stuff? Quite frankly, my experience (seen through the low income kids who come into our public library) is the opposite – they are drowning in stuff. These kids and their parents talk about stuff, and judge those (like me) who don’t have a smartphone, designer shoes and jackets, fancy snow boards, etc. Moreover they insist upon bringing snacks into the library, or try to do their hair or nails. The Section 8 people next door to us filled their garbage to overflowing each week. Minimizing may be an upper class syndrome in the same sense that education is, which is to say, it’s a concept not spread around enough.
64
People imbue stuff with emotions. As evidence, many comments in this stream stress the emotional ties of stuff to their feelings of prosperity, happiness, and ability to contemplate a bright future. Perhaps what is needed is an ability to untie stuff from feelings and express the feelings directly. Learn how in the useful book The Stuff Cure. www.stuffcure.com
5
Incisive, and speaks to the blindness of those who have toward the plight of those who do not.
27
I personally haven't seen anyone demanding de-cluttering of others as the author implies. What I do so here is another whiny opinion piece of the type the NYT likes to trot out when the more well-known writers are otherwise occupied.
I guess I should feel sorry for Ms. Land having to live in a small appartment, but the fact that she decided to have two children she apparently can't afford tempers my sympathy. It wasn't the lack of things that has kept her from "a carefree life". That foundation of support she mentions apparently didn't teach much about econnomics.
I guess I should feel sorry for Ms. Land having to live in a small appartment, but the fact that she decided to have two children she apparently can't afford tempers my sympathy. It wasn't the lack of things that has kept her from "a carefree life". That foundation of support she mentions apparently didn't teach much about econnomics.
49
If you're poor and you're borrowing money to buy stuff you do not absolutely need, you're probably going to stay poor, forever. If you're a rich wastrel, you can expect your wealth to vanish.
People, rich and poor, are full of pride, making objectivity impossible.
Is your life working?
No one cares?
Get busy and fix it yourself, then, or get busy being unhappy.
Forget decluttering and just stop accumulating.
Accumulating stuff is even more work than throwing the stuff out. Shopping, buying, unpacking, repacking, returning, exchanging, replacing, maintaining, paying off debt with interest, going broke, etc.
Materialism is a psychological black hole.
It's *never* enough and that one simple fact can be quite demoralizing.
Just, stop...
Just freeing up your time will make you feel better.
Turning mindless consumption into a class issue is one of the most cynical propaganda ploys I've ever seen.
People, rich and poor, are full of pride, making objectivity impossible.
Is your life working?
No one cares?
Get busy and fix it yourself, then, or get busy being unhappy.
Forget decluttering and just stop accumulating.
Accumulating stuff is even more work than throwing the stuff out. Shopping, buying, unpacking, repacking, returning, exchanging, replacing, maintaining, paying off debt with interest, going broke, etc.
Materialism is a psychological black hole.
It's *never* enough and that one simple fact can be quite demoralizing.
Just, stop...
Just freeing up your time will make you feel better.
Turning mindless consumption into a class issue is one of the most cynical propaganda ploys I've ever seen.
33
The writer raises an interesting point but misses several others. The issue is not that she can't afford things she wants (a bigger tv, etc) but that she wants things she can't afford. This is true for most of us in our consumerist culture--including many people she and I would consider rich.
To state more precisely what Buddhist belief teaches: suffering is caused by attachment. One need not be poor to experience the besieged mentality of poverty. One need not be rich to stop clinging to useless items out of sentimentality. Happiness is contentment, which isn't on sale either at Walmart or on Amazon.
To state more precisely what Buddhist belief teaches: suffering is caused by attachment. One need not be poor to experience the besieged mentality of poverty. One need not be rich to stop clinging to useless items out of sentimentality. Happiness is contentment, which isn't on sale either at Walmart or on Amazon.
55
Good Grief! This article goes way beyond the scope of Kondo's book. It's like criticizing the author of a diet book by saying, Look, there are people in the world who don't have enough to eat.
95
Cable TV though is not a bargain at any price if it keeps one from experiencing the world as it really is.
14
no one ever experiences th world as it really is
we experience whats inside our heads, which is a rendering of reality
whats outside is a mystery
we experience whats inside our heads, which is a rendering of reality
whats outside is a mystery
20
Once all that stuff you simply can't part with is gone you'll hardly ever miss it. My ex is a pack rat and half the stuff she couldn't part with was my stuff. But I left it all with her, and my stuff, like her, I don't miss.
14
How do you know "she couldn't part with" your "stuff"?
13
If you can sell it or donate it, someone else will get the benefit of it after it has lost its value for you.
18
I have sympathy for Ms. Land. When one's lack of material possessions comes down to the socio-economic times we live in (Donald Trump, etc.), I can see how purchasing/seeing books about the virtues of de-cluttering might be less than welcome. The happiness one feels when able to go out and buy, or not, is undeniable.
18
There are two issues that people seem to be missing. One is that there is often an unconscious bias that low income people should not have possessions that make them look like they are not low income. How dare they have internet access or a smart phone?
The second is the idea that there is "fat" to trim. Many programs in financial literacy utilize sample budgets to show how there is money to save by having less expenses. But low income people are often living down to the bone and all their income goes to the basics (food and shelter). god forbid an unexpected expense comes up.
So yes decluttering, simplifying and doing without is definitely a class issue.
The second is the idea that there is "fat" to trim. Many programs in financial literacy utilize sample budgets to show how there is money to save by having less expenses. But low income people are often living down to the bone and all their income goes to the basics (food and shelter). god forbid an unexpected expense comes up.
So yes decluttering, simplifying and doing without is definitely a class issue.
65
Lower income people also often live in areas where everything costs more, and often do not have transportation to take them to cheaper resources. It's a vicious cycle that will only be broken when we stop discriminating and start educating.
34
Thank you. Well said.
8
I find this an interesting perspective, though from some of the comments there are widely divergent views. I do think that decluttering is another fad of the well off, something to engage in - or hire someone to do - while waiting for the next modish thing.
10
If you have ever cleaned out your garage or your refrigerator, you were decluttering.
22
The author has clearly never actually been poor and having to choose which possessions could possibly fit in one's car in order to do a move by herself from a rental apartment she could no longer afford. She also gives the 99% little credit for sanity. No one thinks Kondo is advocating tossing a working hammer for a snazzier version. We do thank Kondo for helping us think about things like whether our bosses should require us to provide them with warehousing of their products, whether their IRS rules on paper storage unfairly burden the poor, and how we want to be spending our limited funds. Self-reflection isn't just for the rich and Kondo's modest book price - a book also available at the library - beats the therapy most of us can't afford.
19
Our culture teaches people that "stuff" is the key to happiness, that a life's worth is judged by what one owns. *That* is what people are pushing back against. It's something that affects the poor as well as the rich. Maybe the poor more, because they can clearly see things they cannot have, yet are told they need it to be worth anything. This is a bad thing that goes beyond "desperation for comfort."
Also, I think it's mostly middle class people who have the luxury of having Black Friday off who go out and buy these things. Sadly, the poor people are usually the ones working that day.
Also, I think it's mostly middle class people who have the luxury of having Black Friday off who go out and buy these things. Sadly, the poor people are usually the ones working that day.
22
Actually, owning more or owning less are flip sides of the same coin--the error of equating possessions with happiness. If you pay less attention to that, and more to doing, learning, and enjoying people and places, possessions lose much of their power.
17
Moreover, if you are restricted in your range by poverty, if you cannot buy books and newspapers, for instance, you are but confined to the most significant and vital experiences; you are compelled to deal with the material which yields the most sugar and the most starch. It is life near the bone where it is sweetest. You are defended from being a trifler.
thoreau
thoreau
14
It seems to me that the problem here is the unaffordability of suitable housing.
The author lived with her daughter in a studio apartment. The author currently lives with her two daughters in a 667sf apartment.
The square footage itself is not necessarily a problem, and small spaces can be wisely and appropriately laid out (my family lived in less than 600sf for a long time). But if the author cannot afford housing where her daughters can have appropriate sleeping space and what seems like a normal, modest collection of personal items, something is wrong there.
I'm guessing it's not the amount of stuff, but rather the cost of housing.
The author lived with her daughter in a studio apartment. The author currently lives with her two daughters in a 667sf apartment.
The square footage itself is not necessarily a problem, and small spaces can be wisely and appropriately laid out (my family lived in less than 600sf for a long time). But if the author cannot afford housing where her daughters can have appropriate sleeping space and what seems like a normal, modest collection of personal items, something is wrong there.
I'm guessing it's not the amount of stuff, but rather the cost of housing.
26
The 1,000 sq ft 1940s house across the street from me was home to a two-parent family with 9 kids in the 60s and 70s, neighbors tell me. I am sure it is quite possible for three people to live comfortably in 667sf.
The house next door (till it was replaced by a McMansion) was about 900sf had two bedrooms, one bath and the only shower was in the basement over a drain next to the laundry tub. The two sons of the family shared a tiny room with twin beds till they went off to college. This is not a poor neighborhood; their dad worked for a major mfg company. Both went to a famed university and are successful businessmen and talented musicians today. They were not stunted by lack of square footage.
If the author chooses to live in DC the obvious trade-off is going to be minimal space. It's not as though they are crammed into a a closet in, say, Gary, Indiana.
The house next door (till it was replaced by a McMansion) was about 900sf had two bedrooms, one bath and the only shower was in the basement over a drain next to the laundry tub. The two sons of the family shared a tiny room with twin beds till they went off to college. This is not a poor neighborhood; their dad worked for a major mfg company. Both went to a famed university and are successful businessmen and talented musicians today. They were not stunted by lack of square footage.
If the author chooses to live in DC the obvious trade-off is going to be minimal space. It's not as though they are crammed into a a closet in, say, Gary, Indiana.
22
I think that a lot of this decluttering mania stems from people looking at too many magazines and catalogues that feature camera ready pristine spaces, luxury vacation condos, celebrity homes, etc. Plus all those designer/decorator shows on TV. These kinds of images become visual icons for a perfect lifestyle perhaps. Unfortunatelyit seems like perfect lifesyles don't include any activity outside of sitting around with posh people and sipping on wine. Well, that's not for me. I love doing projects that require tools, unique materials, and saving yoghurt containers: Home improvement, sewing, windowsill gardening, watercolor painting, etc. There are creative people in every walk of life/ rich and poor and in-between; Homes where clutter is just an unavoidable by-product of inspiration. (On a personal note, maybe I could painlessly get rid of my old Besseler dark-room equipment and even my mid-seventies architectural drafting stuff...but then again maybe not.)
33
Speak for yourself. There are those of us who thrive in minimalist spaces. I for one can't even think when there's clutter around me, and no, I am not a celebrity.
18
Land has an excellent point about the Walmart shoppers...who are looked down on for trying to get deals on things we consider necessities--typically electronics required in our digital age. With wage stagnation, many more people are stretched to afford basics such as a new mattress or a couch to replace the worn out one.
But the rise of the decluttering/minimalist movement is more a response to the fact that we have been, since WWII, living in the Golden Age of Stuff. Like obesity, brought on by being surrounded by food when over millennia we have been programmed for food being scarce, we now are surrounded by the explosion of stuff, and have to reprogram ourselves to acquire less of it. I for one feel the planet will be better off with this new approach, and homes of all types more comfortable and functional.
But the rise of the decluttering/minimalist movement is more a response to the fact that we have been, since WWII, living in the Golden Age of Stuff. Like obesity, brought on by being surrounded by food when over millennia we have been programmed for food being scarce, we now are surrounded by the explosion of stuff, and have to reprogram ourselves to acquire less of it. I for one feel the planet will be better off with this new approach, and homes of all types more comfortable and functional.
23
On Friday I bought a used book from the local library. I went home and took one book off my shelf, a basic cookbook published in 1982. I put it in the recycle bin. It isn't hard.
23
My system as well - something in means something out. No exceptions.
15
I think the author here is trying to way oversimplify this. Yes, the whole 'decluttering' movement may fall more along the lines of the well-off half of society, just as a taste for kale may do, or more of a likelihood to recycle or compost.
But I know many a person who has no little to no disposable income, but yet will spend $20 per week on lottery scratch tickets, or who somehow manages to afford a new iPhone every year (meanwhile I manage to keep my same smartphone for 4-5 years at a time). I've seen people on the subway who clearly are low-income, with shopping bags bulging at the seams from stores like Conway and there's definitely this sense that they just went out 'shopping for fun', and not out of any necessity.
I've also noticed this strange phenomena where many uneducated people fail to understand the value of buying quality items, which, while costing more initially or individually, will often save money in the long-run. Some people, for example, will go shopping and buy three quality clothing items while another person is solely focused on 'quantity', and will buy ten low-quality pieces (and then feel the need to buy all new clothes every single year!).
It's not just about the size of the home you can afford, or the amount of things you can buy, but the approach to buying, and WHY people buy what they do. Take Black Friday for example. People can kid themselves all they want, but for many, it's about 'getting a deal', whether they need the item or not.
But I know many a person who has no little to no disposable income, but yet will spend $20 per week on lottery scratch tickets, or who somehow manages to afford a new iPhone every year (meanwhile I manage to keep my same smartphone for 4-5 years at a time). I've seen people on the subway who clearly are low-income, with shopping bags bulging at the seams from stores like Conway and there's definitely this sense that they just went out 'shopping for fun', and not out of any necessity.
I've also noticed this strange phenomena where many uneducated people fail to understand the value of buying quality items, which, while costing more initially or individually, will often save money in the long-run. Some people, for example, will go shopping and buy three quality clothing items while another person is solely focused on 'quantity', and will buy ten low-quality pieces (and then feel the need to buy all new clothes every single year!).
It's not just about the size of the home you can afford, or the amount of things you can buy, but the approach to buying, and WHY people buy what they do. Take Black Friday for example. People can kid themselves all they want, but for many, it's about 'getting a deal', whether they need the item or not.
34
"... many uneducated people ..."
How do you know they are "uneducated"?
How do you know they are "uneducated"?
25
We shouldn't shame low income consumers for getting excited by sales, but we should be wary of the fact that we equate material goods with happiness. The ethos that says this is not only spiritually detrimental (because it's untrue); it also encourages a level of consumption that will be very hard to sustain as the world's population grows.
15
I find the equivalency between family heirlooms & childhood mementos, with consumer goods like televisions, to be inapt.
We don't need means to buy the things we have; we need space to keep them, but not the means to acquire. We can keep our lives tidy without junking our personal history.
Better to spend what we have to maintain what is meaningful, than to spend on consumer goods that promise the illusion of comfort. They provide no such thing.
We don't need means to buy the things we have; we need space to keep them, but not the means to acquire. We can keep our lives tidy without junking our personal history.
Better to spend what we have to maintain what is meaningful, than to spend on consumer goods that promise the illusion of comfort. They provide no such thing.
12
'Stuff' remains a strange term to me. I have a lot of stuff, but I have a lot of hobbies, too. Some 'stuff' I keep for sentimental reasons, some for practical reasons, such as the hobby 'stuff', and others for esthetic reasons. I've heard about people getting rid of 'stuff' that doesn't spark joy. I'm not sure it's good to look for joy in 'stuff'. I appreciate what Land is saying. Decluttering seems just as preoccupied with 'stuff' as desiring things one can't afford. It feels worse, however, as it comes from a position of privilege. I once heard someone on a podcast advise a listener to get rid of their old clothes and buy a new wardrobe that would bring them joy. How nice to be able to buy clothes for reasons other than clothing oneself. How nice and how wasteful. Why don't we start by questioning whether we need something new? Maybe that joyless 'stuff' is good enough, maybe it serves a purpose.
23
Rarely in my life have I seen a more willfully wrong-headed opinion piece. Wrong in so many ways, where do I beginning? The minimalist life is not the same as being uncluttered and organized. There is some relationship, but they are not the same. An uncluttered and organized life means that you can actually use the objects you have and not be buried alive in them. Nobody is telling you to toss your beloved Raggedy Ann doll; don't create a straw man in your argument. The poor live on the edge; they are the ones who need a organized lifestyle. Not the rich; they have the slack created by money and space to handle clutter. I'll give you only one example of the impact of clutter on the poor: everyone agrees that the one thing you can do that will most improve your health and you wallet is cooking at home. Cooking at home frees you from the SAD diet and save a lot of money. But most of the kitchens of the poor that I have seen (and I've seen a lot), it is very difficult (or impossible) to cook in. There is not a counter that isn't over cramed with stuff, all shelves are packed with unless items. Someone to help them to get rid of the junk would be a God sent
31
"... all shelves are packed with unless [sic] items."
Could you give some examples of "useless items"?
Could you give some examples of "useless items"?
5
What a diatribe on the poor! So, it's okay for the wealthy to live as they please, yet the poor need "organization?" Give me a break! As far as your "expert"knowledge of the "kitchens of the poor" goes, let me give you a little insight: chances are those kitchens are minuscule. I've been in many kitchens, rich, poor, and in-between. It is really easy to fill up shelves, counter space, etc., when you have a tiny galley kitchen, for example. Yes, I do know what that is like, having lived in studios, efficiencies, etc. in my lifetime. Where exactly do you think someone with a tiny space is going to store all those cooking supplies, healthy foods, etc? Most refrigerators in these places are tiny, and most of the apartments have little storage space, including cabinets. Do you think the poor always have the time, energy, money to go shopping everyday, as opposed to someone with a car (and money for gas), for example, who can go, la-di-da whenever and wherever they want.
Please, spare us with your "knowledge" of the poor, because you don't know of what you speak.
Please, spare us with your "knowledge" of the poor, because you don't know of what you speak.
22
There are valid points on each side of the discussion here: Poverty breeds a sense of helplessness, which is to a small degree addressed by holding onto the things one believes are hard to find, and privation and insecurity more likely drive a person to hoard those things which are costly "for a rainy day."
It's also true that every day there are more people, more things, more garbage, more clutter - and less space - everywhere. The US was once a relatively un-crowded place. Nowadays, less so. The sense of impingement from our neighbors encourages us to buttress our sense of home.
But all of it points to a single, underlying subtext: Our worth and identity is defined by the things we own, or how we're well enough not to *have* to own anything.
Being poor makes you want; and in America, that means you'll want for *things* more than any other thing. And being rich makes you "de-clutter" as a way of verifying your superiority over those cursed to have to hoard.
Either way, the value system is materialist, and it's vapid. As the comments from some seniors here point out, relationships sustain us through our lives and are ultimately most important for long-term happiness.
Because American capitalist culture values relationships as among the most expendable of categories, it is up to us to separate the paradigm of "stuff" from that of people. (It's unfortunate how much American hegemony encourages this concept to infect cultures worldwide).
It's also true that every day there are more people, more things, more garbage, more clutter - and less space - everywhere. The US was once a relatively un-crowded place. Nowadays, less so. The sense of impingement from our neighbors encourages us to buttress our sense of home.
But all of it points to a single, underlying subtext: Our worth and identity is defined by the things we own, or how we're well enough not to *have* to own anything.
Being poor makes you want; and in America, that means you'll want for *things* more than any other thing. And being rich makes you "de-clutter" as a way of verifying your superiority over those cursed to have to hoard.
Either way, the value system is materialist, and it's vapid. As the comments from some seniors here point out, relationships sustain us through our lives and are ultimately most important for long-term happiness.
Because American capitalist culture values relationships as among the most expendable of categories, it is up to us to separate the paradigm of "stuff" from that of people. (It's unfortunate how much American hegemony encourages this concept to infect cultures worldwide).
10
Decluttering is about addressing excess. Excess is a harmful quality for everyone -- all people, regardless of class, wealth, health, or social status, by definition. The author does her readers a disservice by avoiding the heart of the problem, and pretending that decluttering is simply about elimination of stuff. It isn't, it never has been, and, like so much writing in the op-eds here, fully skirts the actual issue. Why not help the poor and the underprivileged by speaking to the actual, real problem of excess -- a societal illness that is very democratic in its choice of victim?
43
Thank you. I was wondering if anyone else had figured this out.
9
Very informative first-person narrative, a real breath of fresh air for those of us who may fall into the trap of stereotyping poorer people and generalizing the priorities of wealthier people to apply to everyone. Yes, the implications of "having stuff" and the blessing (or curse) of possessions are not the same for all of us.
18
MANY $ And no sense. Uh, cents. As time goes on, I realize that my desire to acquire material possessions has decreased dramatically. I've always enjoyed giving gifts. Now even moreso, because I am lightening my burden as my age increases. When we visit my wife's 95 year old mother, we are reminded of how she has thrived in her senior residence by the apartment that has familiar things from her life. It would be a challenge to her sense of belonging to be stripped of them. I've seen the shock people experience when moved to barren rooms, because they must see what they've possessed to remember. I admire Stephanie Land's writing, full of optimism and hope, as she has met succeeded against daunting material challenges while cultivating emotional plenty for her daughters and herself. There is great joy in a sense of belonging and joyful attachment. A fillip of found treasures here and there add to the pleasure. But in the end it is our attachments and our memories that give meaning to our lives. The material belongings we leave behind are meaningful to those with whom we share attachment, and to others by the meaning of the things themselves. While they reflect aspects of our selves, they symbolize us but are not a part of whom were, are or will be.
16
Conspicuous consumption keeps the economy going, that some of us get sucked into it is understandable. Do I want it? Do I need it? That is the rule for the last half century of my life. As I have gotten older maintenance is an underlying concern. I do not like stuff and more stuff in my spaces plus if it is something that requires maintenance, money and not an absolute necessity, (e.g., a car - I use public transportation) it is not part of my life. Simplicity is a life long goal and I am happy to say I've identified what is truly important in my life. Clutter disrupts my harmony.
19
The reason Marie Condo's philosophy has become so celebrated is because it permits,and probably augments, consumerism while appearing to do the opposite. It sanctions regular clear outs of - probably -perfectly servicable things, and creates the opportunity for newer things to take their place. How long will it be before we realize that these exhortations to purge are just exhortations to commence consuming again? Like diets, these purges will keep us clearing out and buying in one continuous cycle. No disrespect to Ms. Mondo who seems genuine in her quest to simplify, but to be adopted so widely by the consumer class?Surely a clue?
154
Yes! Why does all of our stuff have to "spark joy" in order to be deemed acceptable? This philosophy just encourages us to throw everything out in order to make room for better and probably more expensive stuff!
I've been on a simplification kick lately and have been challenging myself to spend much less money on myself in favor of giving. One result of this is that in this, my second pregnancy, I've decided not to buy any new maternity clothes and instead be content with what I have and the hand-me-downs of my friends. Putting on a friend's shirt this morning, it occurred to me that not all my maternity clothes "spark joy", but they do cover my growing belly without additional expense. I'm working on being joyful about aspects of my life other than my possessions.
I've been on a simplification kick lately and have been challenging myself to spend much less money on myself in favor of giving. One result of this is that in this, my second pregnancy, I've decided not to buy any new maternity clothes and instead be content with what I have and the hand-me-downs of my friends. Putting on a friend's shirt this morning, it occurred to me that not all my maternity clothes "spark joy", but they do cover my growing belly without additional expense. I'm working on being joyful about aspects of my life other than my possessions.
21
"...'bad' consumption is portrayed by masses of people swarming into big box stores on Black Friday...They are...slaves to material goods, whereas the people who stay away from mass consumption are independent thinkers..."
When consumer organizations report every year that items sold at Black Friday prices are no cheaper than what can be found elsewhere and at better quality, then indeed, those of us who choose not to buy into the massive hype ARE independent thinkers. What's wrong with that? What is it other than independence if I choose not to join a large herd of people blindly running after faux-sale junk? More importantly, why are you so fixated on this?
This article drips with resentment of a condition of your own creation. I'm far from wealthy but find that clutter just happens and my desire to control it has nothing to do with class. I can't afford expensive things but I also don't crave anything so much that I'm compelled to join a stampede supporting a mega-corporation that impoverishes its own workers.
And I certainly understood early on that having children costs tremendous amounts of money and are an additional burden to an overpopulated planet. I chose not to have children for these well-considered reasons but you did, not once, but twice. Yet you resent me for my consumer independence? You need to examine your own life decisions before focusing so much on others and writing whiny articles about them.
When consumer organizations report every year that items sold at Black Friday prices are no cheaper than what can be found elsewhere and at better quality, then indeed, those of us who choose not to buy into the massive hype ARE independent thinkers. What's wrong with that? What is it other than independence if I choose not to join a large herd of people blindly running after faux-sale junk? More importantly, why are you so fixated on this?
This article drips with resentment of a condition of your own creation. I'm far from wealthy but find that clutter just happens and my desire to control it has nothing to do with class. I can't afford expensive things but I also don't crave anything so much that I'm compelled to join a stampede supporting a mega-corporation that impoverishes its own workers.
And I certainly understood early on that having children costs tremendous amounts of money and are an additional burden to an overpopulated planet. I chose not to have children for these well-considered reasons but you did, not once, but twice. Yet you resent me for my consumer independence? You need to examine your own life decisions before focusing so much on others and writing whiny articles about them.
37
I can't tell you how much I wish I'd written this response. Perfect. Thank you.
9
I'm grateful to the people who donate to thrift stores rather than just junking the stuff they no longer want. Thank you! I have been the beneficiary of your generosity.
26
This makes me happy to hear. We have been downsizing lately and letting go of some really lovely things. I kept holding on to them because they were so nice or because they had some sentimental value but I realized how wasteful that is when we don't actually use the nice china, the great handbag etc.
We've been making regular trips to Goodwill and as I bid good by to each item, I hope that it finds a home with someone who will really use and appreciate it, someone like you.
We've been making regular trips to Goodwill and as I bid good by to each item, I hope that it finds a home with someone who will really use and appreciate it, someone like you.
20
I think of giving things to thrift stores as sharing, rather than discarding. I've given them some very nice things. And I've bought more than a couple of things at thrift stores as well.
16
Good! I donate everything. Nothing goes to the garbage.
16
"Clutter" is a misleading word. It applies to two entirely different things, though they may be related. The first is untidiness, which is mostly a matter of habit. If a person has a reasonable number of possessions, but is disorganized and does not put things away, the result is clutter. Organization and habit modification can deal with this problem.
The other kind of "clutter" is the result of having more possessions than it's possible to put away. This may be a case of borderline hoarding, or of shopping addiction. Both of these go far beyond the ability of amateurs to deal with. It's also possible that the number of objects is not unreasonable, but the dwelling is too small to house the occupants and their pursuits, or that the storage space is completely inadequate. In the latter case, the solutions are architectural rather than behavioral.
I think the current Kondo fad is a class thing, though. It only works when applied to luxury possessions. The idea of not owning a toilet brush because it doesn't spark any joy is ridiculous.
The other kind of "clutter" is the result of having more possessions than it's possible to put away. This may be a case of borderline hoarding, or of shopping addiction. Both of these go far beyond the ability of amateurs to deal with. It's also possible that the number of objects is not unreasonable, but the dwelling is too small to house the occupants and their pursuits, or that the storage space is completely inadequate. In the latter case, the solutions are architectural rather than behavioral.
I think the current Kondo fad is a class thing, though. It only works when applied to luxury possessions. The idea of not owning a toilet brush because it doesn't spark any joy is ridiculous.
10
It is too late for me to de-clutter,
I don't own furniture or a television or a smart phone or a bed or car
i have one plate one glass two cups one fork one knife one spoon (and a seven figure portfolio where I beat the indices by 20%, - 'chaque a son gout', Jacques and his son have gout)
and I have a discount card at the local 99 cent shop
I have a closet full of pictures and memories and a wall, and live surrounded by books
= = = =
I stopped being rational in reading this article when this lady said she looked in peoples' bathrooms to see their medications, and to get smug and smarmy and righteous about it
Were that to have happened here I would have decluttered her teeth right out of mouth
for starters
and maybe her limbs from her torso
Your actions violate privacy and entrustment.
I now think your customers should count their heirlooms and verify their checkbooks and credit card statements
and check her house for acquisitions from de-cluttering elsewhere
I don't own furniture or a television or a smart phone or a bed or car
i have one plate one glass two cups one fork one knife one spoon (and a seven figure portfolio where I beat the indices by 20%, - 'chaque a son gout', Jacques and his son have gout)
and I have a discount card at the local 99 cent shop
I have a closet full of pictures and memories and a wall, and live surrounded by books
= = = =
I stopped being rational in reading this article when this lady said she looked in peoples' bathrooms to see their medications, and to get smug and smarmy and righteous about it
Were that to have happened here I would have decluttered her teeth right out of mouth
for starters
and maybe her limbs from her torso
Your actions violate privacy and entrustment.
I now think your customers should count their heirlooms and verify their checkbooks and credit card statements
and check her house for acquisitions from de-cluttering elsewhere
9
After retiring I recently moved from a decent sized rental house in a nice NJ suburb to a pricier studio apartment in Silicon Valley close to my grandchildren. Although I have never been a big collector of anything I found that I had to get rid of a great deal of stuff. All that I brought were clothes, some books, some art and some jewelry. It was cheaper to replace furniture and a car than move them. Obviously I could afford new things.
So here I am and after 5 months I don't miss any of my former things. I do miss friends but through the wonders of texting and cheap calling on my iPhone I can maintain relationships. The planes go both east and west for visits and most of all I am with my family now. Certainly the trade was worth it for me, although it wouldn't work for everyone.
So here I am and after 5 months I don't miss any of my former things. I do miss friends but through the wonders of texting and cheap calling on my iPhone I can maintain relationships. The planes go both east and west for visits and most of all I am with my family now. Certainly the trade was worth it for me, although it wouldn't work for everyone.
12
Good grief. Can't people support anything without it being politicized?
Letting go of the need for more stuff is a boon to happiness for anyone of any class. The poor and the rich are both driven to consume - greed and consumerism knows no class boundaries unfortunately. And although minimalism is currently trendy, as the author seems to know, the suggestion that it actually supports eudamonia (look it up) rather than detracting has been around for thousands of years across nearly all cultures and religions. Jesus said it. Buddha said it. Confucius said it. Ben Franklin said it. You get the point. And those people were not talking to the rich.
Numerous studies point out that people with less stuff often are happier once a very minimal level of material needs are met. This finding does not change based on class.
Stop whining. Take responsibility. Look for solutions. Within certain boundaries (which the author clearly does fall within) circumstances are way overrated for eudamonia and certainly for happiness. The author should buy a book by the Dalai Lama or Mattheiu Ricard and give this a re-think. She'd be glad she did.
Letting go of the need for more stuff is a boon to happiness for anyone of any class. The poor and the rich are both driven to consume - greed and consumerism knows no class boundaries unfortunately. And although minimalism is currently trendy, as the author seems to know, the suggestion that it actually supports eudamonia (look it up) rather than detracting has been around for thousands of years across nearly all cultures and religions. Jesus said it. Buddha said it. Confucius said it. Ben Franklin said it. You get the point. And those people were not talking to the rich.
Numerous studies point out that people with less stuff often are happier once a very minimal level of material needs are met. This finding does not change based on class.
Stop whining. Take responsibility. Look for solutions. Within certain boundaries (which the author clearly does fall within) circumstances are way overrated for eudamonia and certainly for happiness. The author should buy a book by the Dalai Lama or Mattheiu Ricard and give this a re-think. She'd be glad she did.
18
I really thought this piece was going to mention the class issue that shocked me when I read Marie Kondo's book: her premise that you can dispose of all the tools you keep around "just in case", because if something breaks, you can just buy a new one! A great deal of the clutter in our home is backup for systems - instruction manuals, rubber bands and tiny screws, hammers, extra power cords, the old mac book that sorta works in case the new shiny one goes out, etc. Most folks can't just afford to - or aren't necessarily willing to - run out and buy new the moment something goes on the fritz.
20
I have been waiting for someone to write this! Thank you, Stephanie Land. Very well said, indeed.
8
The main thing that gets forgotten in all these discussions about decluttering is: "What happens to all the STUFF we get out of our living spaces?"
If the rich/well-off have too much stuff, and the poor don't have enough, why haven't we looked at ways to get a more reliable system in place to get high-quality decluttered stuff into the hands of those who needs it or can't afford to buy it new in the first place. Surely there's better system than just Goodwill or dumping it all in the garbage. Why can't we start a conversation in this direction?
This is especially applicable in a city like New York, where the current system of charity shops (like Salvation Army) that do pick-up donations is so overburdened by people who don't have cars, that most people just throw their "good stuff" away rather than deal with the hassle of donating.
Let's get more creative with the positive impact that the new decluterring movement can have for all levels of income by bringing our STUFF into the conversation.
If the rich/well-off have too much stuff, and the poor don't have enough, why haven't we looked at ways to get a more reliable system in place to get high-quality decluttered stuff into the hands of those who needs it or can't afford to buy it new in the first place. Surely there's better system than just Goodwill or dumping it all in the garbage. Why can't we start a conversation in this direction?
This is especially applicable in a city like New York, where the current system of charity shops (like Salvation Army) that do pick-up donations is so overburdened by people who don't have cars, that most people just throw their "good stuff" away rather than deal with the hassle of donating.
Let's get more creative with the positive impact that the new decluterring movement can have for all levels of income by bringing our STUFF into the conversation.
10
"This is especially applicable in a city like New York, where the current system of charity shops (like Salvation Army) that do pick-up donations is so overburdened by people who don't have cars, that most people just throw their "good stuff" away rather than deal with the hassle of donating."
Yes, it can be work getting rid of stuff vs throwing it in the garbage. I employ a combination of advertising all unwanted items on Craigslist, Freecycle, and then whatever is not taken, I put in a box out front marked FREE STUFF. And if that doesn't work, they I take a taxi with it to my nearby Goodwill or Thrift shop....
Yes, it can be work getting rid of stuff vs throwing it in the garbage. I employ a combination of advertising all unwanted items on Craigslist, Freecycle, and then whatever is not taken, I put in a box out front marked FREE STUFF. And if that doesn't work, they I take a taxi with it to my nearby Goodwill or Thrift shop....
3
I come from a long line of collectors, auction goers, cooks, artists and am the very lucky recipient of family heirlooms, jewelry and photographs. I love my stuff. There I said it. My stuff is carefully curated, displayed and admired by others. For me, these things are the invisible thread that connects me to the past, the year 1847 when my father's people came here and down through succeeding generations. My son and daughter both know where and from whom all the pieces came. This is their heritage.
I would posit there is a difference in between merely obtaining stuff for sake of buying stuff and the deep connections one has to things that really matter. My stuff makes me happy. I love to immerse myself in the old photographs, books, and artwork. Visitors often comment our house is like a museum. But is is a LIVING museum, everything is to be touched, used and enjoyed.
While I respect those who choose to own nothing (I get it), I am often uncomfortable with blank walls, bookless shelves and maybe three chairs in their living room. Our stuff telegraphs who we are, more than our conversation or the way we dress. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it communicates.
Just don't call my stuff clutter.
I would posit there is a difference in between merely obtaining stuff for sake of buying stuff and the deep connections one has to things that really matter. My stuff makes me happy. I love to immerse myself in the old photographs, books, and artwork. Visitors often comment our house is like a museum. But is is a LIVING museum, everything is to be touched, used and enjoyed.
While I respect those who choose to own nothing (I get it), I am often uncomfortable with blank walls, bookless shelves and maybe three chairs in their living room. Our stuff telegraphs who we are, more than our conversation or the way we dress. This could be a good thing or a bad thing, but it communicates.
Just don't call my stuff clutter.
34
It is ironic that on one hand there is an image of the college educated who are passionate about recycling - there are even elite colleges that mention sustainability and recycling on their campus tours - and at the same time there are many who must shop at Good Will or thrift stores (another form of recycling) out of economic necessity. One group is often praised as forward thinking- the other as poor. In this context, it is easy to see the author's point of view - for those living on the economic edge - these decluttering trends must seem absurd.
10
If people who declutter take their goods to thrift stores, those who have less will be able to get things they need for affordable prices.
14
When I lived in India, my mother saved up all stray buttons, bits of elastic (even those from airline luggage tags of visiting friends and family) and other such things. Which meant that fixing clothes was a snap for my mother and we never went to school with a missing button on our shirts (something that was insanely common in those days in my school).
My mother also saved up bits of wool and I had a couple of home-made sweaters that were simply a riot of colors.
So, yes, de-cluttering does have a down side. But, for most people in US, clutter is an albatross that prevents them from getting the most out of their lives.
My mother also saved up bits of wool and I had a couple of home-made sweaters that were simply a riot of colors.
So, yes, de-cluttering does have a down side. But, for most people in US, clutter is an albatross that prevents them from getting the most out of their lives.
13
Not all of those people in Walmarts are lower income. While it is difficult to build wealth on a subsistence income, it is possible to become quite wealthy on just a middle class income by shopping in thrift stores, outlets and off season sales, sharing housing in the cheap part of town when you are young, and investing the money saved steadily from young adulthood. That is the way you eventually become one of those people who have to declutter.
14
Or who don't have to declutter. The assumption that people who live simply and frugally are poor is a shaky one.
14
This is why you have Goodwill Stores. For very little money you can have as much stuff as you want, and when you are overwhelmed, you can take it back.
14
I know a few poor women who collect "stuff" to sell at yard sales to get much needed cash. Most of the "stuff" is given to them free by friends or acquaintances. They never say no. The problem is, these women are now old and do not have the ability to have yard sales. They keep collecting stuff so that their houses are overwhelmed--entire rooms filled with so much stuff that the rooms are in effect a large storage locker. Visiting relatives have to sleep on a couch because it is not possible to open the door to the "storage room." But they simply can't get rid of it. In these cases, the acquisition of "stuff" is a result of economic deprivation; the inability to get rid of it when it has become dysfunctional is a psychological issue.
19
The idea of decluttering one's environment = doing the same to one's life. Many people in my middle-class circle of friends have too much "stuff", as do I. If people of limited economic means want to buy something to help them feel a bit more wealthy, if only for a while, fine. The whole concept is not aimed at them but at those of us who tend to squander money and end up with an over-sufficiency of physical things.
2
The daily experience of poor people is very different than that of people with more money. They don't eat out, they don't travel, they don't go to expensive concerts and plays, resorts, vacation parks, museums. They don't get on airplanes to go visit different cities. Poor people live in shabby houses, on poorly maintained streets. They have old cars that aren't too dependable. Their lives are a lot more circumscribed and boring than those of rich people.
So, most poor people watch a lot of television and buy cheap stuff. Sometimes going to Good Will or the Dollar Store is the only fun they have all week. It's pretty easy to look down on poor people, and criticize them for the choices they make, but it does not reflect well on the people who do so. Not that those people care.
So, most poor people watch a lot of television and buy cheap stuff. Sometimes going to Good Will or the Dollar Store is the only fun they have all week. It's pretty easy to look down on poor people, and criticize them for the choices they make, but it does not reflect well on the people who do so. Not that those people care.
46
If someone really cared about poor people they would fight for a living wage, affordable health care etc. and not just shrug and say it's OK for them to seek meaning in life from cheap sweatshop made goods.
I grew up poor, shopping of any kind was pretty rare. We had fun going outdoors, reading (the library is free), spending time together etc.
I grew up poor, shopping of any kind was pretty rare. We had fun going outdoors, reading (the library is free), spending time together etc.
20
I accept that others can find meaning where they find meaning, and I don't think I am better than they are because I go outdoors or to the library.
8
She had my sympathy until she mentioned "running to Walmart." To me, a good union man, that sounds like "we were hungry so we stole the food of our elderly neighbors." Walmart has done so much to impoverish so many, I consider supporting their business model to be almost criminal and as "me first" as Kenneth Lay and his crew at Enron.
Being in a union was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. When I hear Republicans complaining about "union bosses," who presumably hurt their members, I don't know whether to scream of to curse that quisling, Frank Lunsford.
Being in a union was the luckiest thing that ever happened to me. When I hear Republicans complaining about "union bosses," who presumably hurt their members, I don't know whether to scream of to curse that quisling, Frank Lunsford.
29
She shops at Walmart for the low prices. Where do you shop?
7
At the end of this piece, Stephanie Land hits upon an important essence of the Decluttering movement: "another form of social shaming." More broadly, it's an excuse for looking down on other people.
In recent years, racism, sexism, and other forms of gender discrimination have become unacceptable in
most quarters (although much of it exist underground). It's hard to find classes of people who can be disdained and tagged as inferiors. Government employees, teachers (for some) are among the few exceptions.
Enter "clutterers." "Clutter" is defined as a moral defect, not merely the result of different personal choices. The word has become an epithet, not merely a descriptor. Anti-clutterers feel empowered to pity "clutterers," reinforcing a feeling of superiority they can't acceptably assert on other grounds. It's a passive-aggressive expression of prejudice.
In recent years, racism, sexism, and other forms of gender discrimination have become unacceptable in
most quarters (although much of it exist underground). It's hard to find classes of people who can be disdained and tagged as inferiors. Government employees, teachers (for some) are among the few exceptions.
Enter "clutterers." "Clutter" is defined as a moral defect, not merely the result of different personal choices. The word has become an epithet, not merely a descriptor. Anti-clutterers feel empowered to pity "clutterers," reinforcing a feeling of superiority they can't acceptably assert on other grounds. It's a passive-aggressive expression of prejudice.
23
Thanks for this. The current trend/fad/obsession with "decluttering" from the Kondo-acolytes seems to be just another branch of moral puritanism that America enjoys. I similarly see this with the "tiny house" nation features. See the commercials from these programs "We chose to focus on Experiences rather than Stuff". That's a fine statement to make, were it not dripping with condesencion and pretension. As with most "self-help" fads, having money much it makes easier to pursue these goals. That doesn't mean having a lot of money, it just means having *Some*. My parents saved things out of thrift, having lived through the great depression. Having grown up with that, I think more carefully about throwing some (somewhat irreplaceable) items away than many of my contemporaries. That said, I don't save bakers string (as my father did); nor rinse out "carry out" containers (as my mother did). Our possession are not just materialistic; for many of us they are what's left of our family history and we have neither the time (nor inclination) to digitize the entire collection and put it on some online album. I could care less about another television set, but if I could retrieve my father's clarinet (that has been gone for 30+ years) and restore it to him tomorrow, I'd happily have one more item to clutter up my (already cluttered, and happy about it) home. For those who prefer spartan surroundings, that's fine, just don't be smug in your empty surroundings.
26
For the last year, my brother and myself have been going through our family home of 70 years, getting it ready for sale. Mom and dad were great parents, teaching us well the value of want, wish, and have. Through the years, they bought mostly necessities, but every now and then, they splurged with what would be now, an expensive piece of art. Not one would bring more than 150. today, and yet we were so happy to 're-discover' them. These pieces held very important spaces in our home, and fill out our memories today. This past visit, I brought home the kitchen clock that kept everyone on time, wonderfully well kept vinyl records from the 50's and 60's, and a framed drawing of a roadster that dad sketched. The important thing here is not quantity, (though it is true that the better off you are the less a purchase hurts), it is the memories they bring. I was lucky. We never lost our home, dad was a union laborer with the IBEW. We always knew there would be another job, when the current one was finished...
28
I agree that there is a geographical issue in decluttering and tidying. People who live in big cities pay a lot of money for each square inch and cannot afford to keep much stuff. There is no attractive way to keep a lot of stuff in a small apartment. I think decluttering is essential for apartment dwellers.
In rural areas, many people have a lot more room and keeping granny's old sewing machine in an outbuilding isn't so much of a problem.
My husband and I live in a large house in a rural area and our lifestyle would probably be very upsetting to Marie Kondo and her disciples. We do give stuff away, sell stuff and recycle a lot, but decluttering takes up too much time to go through approximately a century's worth of accumulation. i would rather read a book, go for a walk or swim, plant tomatoes, watch something good on TV or a million other things than spending my time going through boxes of old papers that may contain something valuable or not.
This is one of the advantages to living in a lightly populated area and to not having to move much. We are lucky and happily cluttered.
In rural areas, many people have a lot more room and keeping granny's old sewing machine in an outbuilding isn't so much of a problem.
My husband and I live in a large house in a rural area and our lifestyle would probably be very upsetting to Marie Kondo and her disciples. We do give stuff away, sell stuff and recycle a lot, but decluttering takes up too much time to go through approximately a century's worth of accumulation. i would rather read a book, go for a walk or swim, plant tomatoes, watch something good on TV or a million other things than spending my time going through boxes of old papers that may contain something valuable or not.
This is one of the advantages to living in a lightly populated area and to not having to move much. We are lucky and happily cluttered.
38
Beautiful writing, very thoughtful and rich.
I'm a little shocked at the advice-giving commenters here who appear not to have assimilated the details generously provided by the author Stephanie Land, who has let us invade her privacy in order to give us a window on a world that is apparently too foreign for some to bear to take an honest look.
400 square feet with two daughters who don't have a room of their own. Losses from Hurricane Sandy. Her activism on behalf of others is provided at the bottom of the article. And as to those who recommend detaching from possessions, they seem clueless about what it is like: "can't afford to do with less."
The wholesale lack of imagination abroad among progressives as well as conservatives has brought us to a sorry pass.
Sneering at economic hardship shows a lack of imagination and empathy I find shocking.
I'm a little shocked at the advice-giving commenters here who appear not to have assimilated the details generously provided by the author Stephanie Land, who has let us invade her privacy in order to give us a window on a world that is apparently too foreign for some to bear to take an honest look.
400 square feet with two daughters who don't have a room of their own. Losses from Hurricane Sandy. Her activism on behalf of others is provided at the bottom of the article. And as to those who recommend detaching from possessions, they seem clueless about what it is like: "can't afford to do with less."
The wholesale lack of imagination abroad among progressives as well as conservatives has brought us to a sorry pass.
Sneering at economic hardship shows a lack of imagination and empathy I find shocking.
19
I am really glad someone else "got" the message of this essay. What a bunch of mean-spirited, sniveling comments on such a lovely article! For those who turned up their noses on it, a pox on your lovely, "spacious" homes. You have no idea what it is like and for many it is not simply a matter of "life choices." Life has a way of dealing cruel blows despite someone's best efforts.
9
Decluttering has been around for much much longer than Marie Kondo. That movement may have been rendered "sexier" by Ms. Kondo's book, but a lot of people have been on this bandwagon and a lot of money has already been made by writers who promise to reveal the secret of finally getting everything in order.
The answer is, and has always been: A place for each thing and each thing in its place. (My French mom would always say that, in French, of course, when she wanted us to straighten up and "declutter." Une place pour chaque chose et chaque chose à sa place.)
The answer is, and has always been: A place for each thing and each thing in its place. (My French mom would always say that, in French, of course, when she wanted us to straighten up and "declutter." Une place pour chaque chose et chaque chose à sa place.)
14
How true. In 1975 an instructor at boot camp gave us advise that serves me to this day: "If you can't fit everything you own in your duffle bag, you've got too much."
14
Although I understand the authors perspective on the way that minimalism is portrayed by the press I do agree that the expectation of excessive consumption is felt by both the rich and poor alike. I have had the benefit of being poor (and yes it is a benefit) for years living with my needs barely being met by my income (this means skipping meals, living in very "humble" apartments, while still being one pay check away from financial disaster). This has taught me that the promise of purchasing a larger TV, a more luxurious car, or a house (or apartment) does not make you happier. The accumulated stuff from my childhood or from my parents did not mitigate any feelings of stress or anxiety and I never had to be reminded of the "foundation of support of the people that loved me growing up." Yes I've kept a few things from my past but they fit in a small box along with another box of photographs so that I can show my children the grand parents they never knew and what a skinny awkward I was when I was their age. Over time, through both luck and hard work, my income has grown to more than I would have ever expected and I have a job that would allow for me to have much more that I ever had before but I can not see that spending ( and accumulating more stuff) would really benefit me. Yes the basic essentials are important, but any thing beyond the basic needs of most people leads to ever decreasing marginal returns that cannot be met by spending more.
17
Exactly this.
2
This article illustrates the root cause of the resentment between the haves and have-nots: lives are lived in comparison to what others have. But people only seem to look at who has MORE, rarely who has less.
Your life would be so much easier with a bedroom instead of a 10 year old futon in the living room; if you're girls only had their own rooms. If you think you've got very little, a homeless person who sleeps in a cardboard box thinks you've got it pretty good.
Why should you care if people jump on the latest decorating trend and declutter? They aren't lording it over you, only over others of means who aren't doing the same thing. In other words, they feel superior to their peers because of this new-found lifestyle.
People flock to mega sales at big box stores, you say, because items of "comfort" are finally affordable. A big screen TV or a stereo system is now a comfort item? I see that as a problem - if I buy THIS, then I'll be happy. I celebrate anyone who pushes back and only keeps around them items that are of value - whatever items that might entail. In doing so, even meager incomes - something with which I am familiar - are much less stressful. If a big screen TV is your comfort item, then be happy with that. Unfortunately, as soon as that "comfort" has been satisfied it is forgotten and the longing for something else starts, leading to that depressing deprived feeling.
Be grateful for what you do have. Plenty of people are wistfully looking up at you.
Your life would be so much easier with a bedroom instead of a 10 year old futon in the living room; if you're girls only had their own rooms. If you think you've got very little, a homeless person who sleeps in a cardboard box thinks you've got it pretty good.
Why should you care if people jump on the latest decorating trend and declutter? They aren't lording it over you, only over others of means who aren't doing the same thing. In other words, they feel superior to their peers because of this new-found lifestyle.
People flock to mega sales at big box stores, you say, because items of "comfort" are finally affordable. A big screen TV or a stereo system is now a comfort item? I see that as a problem - if I buy THIS, then I'll be happy. I celebrate anyone who pushes back and only keeps around them items that are of value - whatever items that might entail. In doing so, even meager incomes - something with which I am familiar - are much less stressful. If a big screen TV is your comfort item, then be happy with that. Unfortunately, as soon as that "comfort" has been satisfied it is forgotten and the longing for something else starts, leading to that depressing deprived feeling.
Be grateful for what you do have. Plenty of people are wistfully looking up at you.
19
Thank you for this. Let's elevate this sentiment to byline status instead of glorifying decisive rhetoric.
3
Yes, Garry Trudeau hit this particular nail on the head long ago (its only fun to brag about being exhausted when it's by choice), and many interesting ideas (Slow Food comes to mind) are vastly more available when you've got the $. But...
I know some bona fide poor people whose lives are marred by the detritus they wade through in their cluttered abodes--some even pay for storage spaces. Americans, rich and poor, have too much damn stuff. Land works hard here to make a much too tenuous point when the real question is why are so many Americans, rich and poor, drowning in cheap junk they don't use or enjoy?
I know some bona fide poor people whose lives are marred by the detritus they wade through in their cluttered abodes--some even pay for storage spaces. Americans, rich and poor, have too much damn stuff. Land works hard here to make a much too tenuous point when the real question is why are so many Americans, rich and poor, drowning in cheap junk they don't use or enjoy?
19
I think that a real class divide here goes along slightly different lines: between people whose preferable lifestyle choices include things where you need a lot of stuff - and those who really don't.
Truth is, some things in life and minimalism are just incompatible. You can't be even somewhat serious about cooking and not have "stuff". In my personal experience, the more I cooked, the more "clutter" I've got - and at some point it starts fitting the louse definition of "clutter". What's the point of having a space-taking cake form if I bake cake once or twice a year? What about a meat grinder? Steamer insert? Cookbooks? The list goes.
Same I can say about painting - easels alone take up space, camping, fishing, etc. All these hobbies require "stuff", and this "stuff" takes up space quickly. Some of this "stuff" is rarely used, but is nearly impossible to replace once you actually need it.
This being said, when I was younger and my hobbies centered around gaming, going to bars, wine and travel, I definitely had less clutter. Hell, I easily fit into 270 square foot studio and had some space left. But my life was very different back then.
Truth is, some things in life and minimalism are just incompatible. You can't be even somewhat serious about cooking and not have "stuff". In my personal experience, the more I cooked, the more "clutter" I've got - and at some point it starts fitting the louse definition of "clutter". What's the point of having a space-taking cake form if I bake cake once or twice a year? What about a meat grinder? Steamer insert? Cookbooks? The list goes.
Same I can say about painting - easels alone take up space, camping, fishing, etc. All these hobbies require "stuff", and this "stuff" takes up space quickly. Some of this "stuff" is rarely used, but is nearly impossible to replace once you actually need it.
This being said, when I was younger and my hobbies centered around gaming, going to bars, wine and travel, I definitely had less clutter. Hell, I easily fit into 270 square foot studio and had some space left. But my life was very different back then.
22
Having just the right stuff, without excess clutter or unnecessary expense, is one secret of a happy life. Each person can choose what stuff has meaning to them, how they manage their own resources, and develop skills in making decisions about stuff. The Stuff Cure is a system to help people enhance their skills in knowing what to keep.
www.stuffcure.com
www.stuffcure.com
3
Thank you so much for writing this. I saw the trailer for the documentary you're talking about and rolled my eyes: how patronizing for spoiled millennials to preach the benefits of living a carefree, minimalist lifestyle, when they have the freedom to eschew material things and have no conception of true need.
8
Hey, folks, the really sick part is that our society has so much more throw-away stuff. Just stop and have a look at that plastic canister that you coffee came in. It is such a useful item, yet it goes right into the trash or, for some, recycling. Now think about the days when you brought your container to the market to be filled with coffee (you probably never did, but I remember). Oh, and even crazies accumulate stuff. They don't declutter, though.
5
"What if your life is streamlined out of necessity, and not choice?" Well said, especially for the poor and elderly, whose choices grow more and more circumscribed every day.
13
The point the author makes is a valid one--"decluttering" isn't really a relevant concept for the less well off. The "let them eat cake" comments here help to explain the rise of the ghastly Donald Trump.
11
Thanks for the article. As a professional organizer, I would agree that this is mainly a problem for middle/upper middle/wealthy people, but I have seen those with less money who have held onto everything they owned, stocked up at garage sales, dollar stores, etc. I believe clutter is what prevents one from living the life he/she desires and extends to not only physical, but mental, emotional, spiritual, and energetic as well. I believe people benefit when they look at clutter through a broader lens. Whatever is going on in the inside, is often reflected on the outside.
12
So you have two articles here that have merged into one, with the writer trying to reflect on the de-clutter movement when what she's really focusing in on is presenting images of middle- and lower-class families swarming into a Walmart to buy items they can only purchase when on sale. The problem with the article, then, is journalistic: the latter doesn't really have anything to do with the former.
Just as the image of those swarming bargain hunters is used negatively and incorrectly, the article then takes that mistake and bashes the de-clutter movement as if the two are related. They are not. There's still the problem that people who have two many possessions are weighed down by consumerism and the accumulation of objects and would be happier and less burdened if they would get rid of many of these items--even if documentarists stop using the Walmart images to make that point.
Just as the image of those swarming bargain hunters is used negatively and incorrectly, the article then takes that mistake and bashes the de-clutter movement as if the two are related. They are not. There's still the problem that people who have two many possessions are weighed down by consumerism and the accumulation of objects and would be happier and less burdened if they would get rid of many of these items--even if documentarists stop using the Walmart images to make that point.
14
Nailed it.
4
I could have written this essay. I live in a modest home that has become surrounded by MegaMcMansions, relentlessly replacing the humble midcentury housing stock in my neighborhood over the past decade. The cute, functional home in a lovely neighborhood that we are proud to have earned a spot in is a source of naïve shame to my smaller child, who wonders why we don't have an upstairs so she can sleep in a proper second floor bedroom.
I marvel at the bounty that is dumped at the curb every week by neighbors who have tired of items long before they began to show wear: contemporary furniture, electronic items and oversized plastic children's toys that were hot items just four or five years ago. My town's Facebook "moms" page is filled with items that are being sold because the owner is "downsizing" or "bought to fill space in a room but never used".
It's disorienting and discouraging to live among people who buy and cast off items so casually, when we frankly don't have the income to buy many of these nice things even once.
In this environment, those who take an interest in "decluttering" indeed do have the option to take purchased items and discard them without consideration as to their monetary value. Am I envious? Sure, a little. But it has been the source of a rich spiritual journey I've taken over the past few years as I try to understand better why ownership of possessions is something I would aspire to.
I marvel at the bounty that is dumped at the curb every week by neighbors who have tired of items long before they began to show wear: contemporary furniture, electronic items and oversized plastic children's toys that were hot items just four or five years ago. My town's Facebook "moms" page is filled with items that are being sold because the owner is "downsizing" or "bought to fill space in a room but never used".
It's disorienting and discouraging to live among people who buy and cast off items so casually, when we frankly don't have the income to buy many of these nice things even once.
In this environment, those who take an interest in "decluttering" indeed do have the option to take purchased items and discard them without consideration as to their monetary value. Am I envious? Sure, a little. But it has been the source of a rich spiritual journey I've taken over the past few years as I try to understand better why ownership of possessions is something I would aspire to.
8
This thoughtful essay reveals what most of us already know - that class is everything here in America.
7
Class is everything worldwide. Status is everything amongst primate groups. Humans are primates. Power is status. With humans, money is power. How deeply must we philosophize about this?
7
“By clearing the clutter from life’s path, we can all make room for the most important aspects of life: health, relationships, passion, growth and contribution,” say Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus.
They forgot to add antique potato chip tins and Danish modern pepper grinders.
They forgot to add antique potato chip tins and Danish modern pepper grinders.
11
Yes, it's a luxury to buy things and then keep those things to remind you of who you would like to be and where you've been. But far too often we buy things because that's what others -- others with a profit motive -- want us to have. Don't have this season's hot color? Buy a handbag! You'll fit in. Want to make a statement with your car, instead of merely going to work? Here, buy this one, not that one -- and we'll make more money from the financing than the product. Want to impress people with your decorating taste? Here, buy these little dustables to express your true self. Tired of your old true self? Then buy these dustables to express your newer true self. Speaking only for myself, I began the de-cluttering when I realized how early and often I had been enticed to cycle through stuff to put my earnings into others' pockets. Dupe no more.
7
Oh, noes. Just when I thought I was simplifying my life (downsizing after living in houses and larger apartments shoehorning into a 1-bedroom place shared with my kid after a disastrous divorce and jobless stretch) it turns out that I'm guilty of cultural appropriation of poor people.
19
I think the author has mixed a couple of things that truly separate issues. The amount of "stuff" that people accumulate, for whatever reason, isn't defined by class or money. As many have pointed out, those with more means may have more "stuff" with higher dollar value, true. But I think the author may be signaling that she is happy with less, even though it may have been due to financial status. It sounds like she's arrived at a very positive place, but may not be sure exactly how.
8
Decluttering did not start with Marie Kondo. The idea has been around for years.
21
I'd ask the Times to publish more op-ed pieces written by its thoughtful readers from among the impoverished and working poor, like this contributor. Voices of the lower-middle-class and underclass are absolutely essential to America's newspaper of record if it is to remain a vital force for civic engagement and sorely lacking.
28
Thank you for your suggestion. I concur. Just because we struggle economically does not mean we are uneducated or unintelligent. Our voices are important as well.
8
I was devastated when someone broke into my house and stole my grandmother's necklace, one which she had worn all her life. To think that the author had to unwillingly rid herself of things connecting herself to her past! I am very sorry for Ms. Land, who must think of the decluttering fad very differently from those who are economically more secure. I too descended some economic rungs suddenly, and my comfort and strength has been my family. It sounds like this is true for Ms. Land as well.
18
When I was 10 my parents were evicted from the middle class comfortable house we lived in. We lost everything we had except for each other. My siblings and I have processed this part of our lives differently. However when I think of the loss of family photo's and the small things that must have been meaningful to my parents I am sad, but I know we were blessed by their ability to impart to us what was really important.
I want to thank the writer. My parents didn't get to chose to minimize or declutter; due to illness and bad luck it was thrust upon them. This is definitely a middle and upper middle class problem. Any one who doesn't recognize that is deluding themselves about our society and culture.
I want to thank the writer. My parents didn't get to chose to minimize or declutter; due to illness and bad luck it was thrust upon them. This is definitely a middle and upper middle class problem. Any one who doesn't recognize that is deluding themselves about our society and culture.
15
The way my middle-class family got by worked most of the time, and was effective: We didn't buy stuff we didn't really want. As I approached middle age, I found I had knick knacks enough, and I didn't want more. As old age approaches, I give away more, hoping it will spread some of the joy. It's important to give things away while they are still beautiful for a second owner!
I lay off the moderate success we have to my parents: My father was not a greedy man; my mother had wonderful mechanical skills to re-purpose old things. We did make some mistakes, buying things because that seemed like what middle class people were supposed to do: I still feel guilty about those. The consumer culture throws lies and nonsense at us. It's tiring to fight back, but you have to do it!
That said, the more economic security I had, the more I gave away. Before that, I was always afraid that the item I had purchase might be my last chance.
There is a lot of raw mental illness in accumulation too. Raw mental illness, hidden within doors.
I lay off the moderate success we have to my parents: My father was not a greedy man; my mother had wonderful mechanical skills to re-purpose old things. We did make some mistakes, buying things because that seemed like what middle class people were supposed to do: I still feel guilty about those. The consumer culture throws lies and nonsense at us. It's tiring to fight back, but you have to do it!
That said, the more economic security I had, the more I gave away. Before that, I was always afraid that the item I had purchase might be my last chance.
There is a lot of raw mental illness in accumulation too. Raw mental illness, hidden within doors.
6
Yes, Ms. Land, your stuff really is just stuff. Your memories are still there without it. And "carloads of clothes." I am having a hard time making this about class, its about "stuff" and feeling bad about needing it.
8
It's an interesting idea, but the stuff accumulation problem is far from positive for most people. Creating a "safe" nest of possessions, sometimes piles of possessions, is, in my experience, directly related to trauma and the fear of want. When I was studying at an elite private university I was very, very poor. I acquired a lot of clothes and household articles free from curbs and end-of-semester move-out dumps. I found it very hard to part with things even when they caused me trouble (cleaning moving). I clung to boxes of letters, keepsakes, old projects that represents a time when I had more time to be creative. Fear of not having enough to sustain me in the future made me hang on to plastic bags I would never use, books I would never read again, broken objects that might one day be fixed. The accumulation of objects, while comforting at first, was a psychological burden that I only able to cast off in recent years. Some of what helped was watching some of those awful shows about hoarding. The message eventually came through loud and clear. i am not my stuff, and all the energy that is put into maintaining, insuring, cleaning and organizing it all is a waste of life.
12
Stephanie Land, I'm so sorry that you had to give up the mementos of your childhood. I'm sorry about your dollies and the drawings you did when you were little. I really am. That purge sounds like it was a terrible loss.
I agree with you about the contempt that's heaped on poor people who shop in Walmart on Black Friday. Those who watch and sneer as the poor trample one another in the pursuit of the elusive "one nice thing" for Christmas don't really understand what it is to need to count and recount every penny. They believe that the comforts of their middle class existence is solely the result of good choices. They have no sense of "the but for grace go I..." The sneering is a problem as is the lack of understanding.
I say this as gently as possible. I don't believe your quarrel is with de-cluttering. I believe it's about the loss you felt about your own seemingly unavoidable losses. The middle class today may not be poor in terms of stuff, but they are time poor. With everybody working they don't have time for their families or even to sit and read. Resentment for a middle class that declutters is just a different side of a coin where the opposite is contempt for Walmart shoppers.
I agree with you about the contempt that's heaped on poor people who shop in Walmart on Black Friday. Those who watch and sneer as the poor trample one another in the pursuit of the elusive "one nice thing" for Christmas don't really understand what it is to need to count and recount every penny. They believe that the comforts of their middle class existence is solely the result of good choices. They have no sense of "the but for grace go I..." The sneering is a problem as is the lack of understanding.
I say this as gently as possible. I don't believe your quarrel is with de-cluttering. I believe it's about the loss you felt about your own seemingly unavoidable losses. The middle class today may not be poor in terms of stuff, but they are time poor. With everybody working they don't have time for their families or even to sit and read. Resentment for a middle class that declutters is just a different side of a coin where the opposite is contempt for Walmart shoppers.
14
I've been poor, so poor I've gone hungry more than once. We never felt the need to trample someone at Walmart to buy something. Many of those shoppers are middle class people who are doing just fine and if they bothered to put down their cell phones and read a newspaper once in awhile, they would know that Black Friday sales are becoming increasingly meaningless.
3
The trend to Tiny House may do the trick! Not for the fainthearted - and from what I have seen on HGTV, not for the poor because you need a lot upon which to park.
3
I learned a lot about clutter working for the US Census in rural Vermont in an area where both the very rich and the very poor live. When everyone has ample space for stuff it is the poor, not the rich, who are buried in clutter; stuff that might be valuable, stuff that they might need someday. The bright and airy house with plenty of open space is usually home to the wealthy; the big old farmhouse, no matter how large, crammed with old toys, broken appliances, clothes that no longer fit and more is usually a sign of poverty. In the extreme it is called hoarding, but it is always a result of the feeling that someday this stuff might be needed, might have some value. While the rich put their stuff in the basement or the storage shed or give it to the Goodwill, the poor live surrounded by the things they might need someday. Or maybe they just can't afford the dump fees.
228
Martin wrote: "Or maybe they just can't afford the dump fees."
That's often the case. A few years ago I visited some friends on a remote island accessible only by float plane or foot-passenger ferry. I was in the cafe and overheard a couple (who were on a VERY expensive eco-cruise) complaining bitterly and at length about the dead cars and appliances on locals' properties. "Such a beautiful place, such a shame the people who live here don't take better care of it" - that sort of thing. It never occurred to them that all this stuff has to be barged out, and that most of the locals can't afford to do that more than once every few years, and besides, most of these items are thoroughly cannibalized before being sent off.
That's often the case. A few years ago I visited some friends on a remote island accessible only by float plane or foot-passenger ferry. I was in the cafe and overheard a couple (who were on a VERY expensive eco-cruise) complaining bitterly and at length about the dead cars and appliances on locals' properties. "Such a beautiful place, such a shame the people who live here don't take better care of it" - that sort of thing. It never occurred to them that all this stuff has to be barged out, and that most of the locals can't afford to do that more than once every few years, and besides, most of these items are thoroughly cannibalized before being sent off.
12
Consider the following ancient saying from the East and notice how sharply it contrasts with the philosophy implicit in American culture.
I am not saying you should change, necessarily.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hand(s)...
“The perfect way is without difficulty, for it avoids picking and choosing. Only when you stop liking and disliking will all be clearly understood. Be not concerned with right or wrong, for the conflict between right and wrong is the sickness of the mind.”
―Jianzhi Sengcan
I am not saying you should change, necessarily.
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hand(s)...
“The perfect way is without difficulty, for it avoids picking and choosing. Only when you stop liking and disliking will all be clearly understood. Be not concerned with right or wrong, for the conflict between right and wrong is the sickness of the mind.”
―Jianzhi Sengcan
4
Before my husband died last year, he said he was sorry that I was going to have go through all his stuff (his word). Though it is still hard to do, I am gradually giving it all to the the local thrift shops and homeless shelters. My motive is not to "declutter" but to let someone who needs it have it. I have always said that if we don't use something, give it to someone who can.
27
I feel that interior design is a highly individual activity to begin with. The experience of personal growth and movement promotes change and the consequence of accumulation. This all seems very natural, we tend to be 'pack rats'. But to assign some neurosis or socially deviant behavior to this activity is childish. Exposing the privacy of others for rationalizing your self seems troubling.
3
The emotional cost to de-clutter is hard for me to surmount, as I am still trying to pare down my mother's stuff who passed away 10 years ago. I know that I must minimize this emotionally-draining task for my loved ones, before I am gone from this earth.
7
Your Mom raised a good son. My heart goes out to you.
3
The Midas Plague by Frederick Pohl (1954) takes it one step further: only the rich can afford not to spend all their time consuming. The short story is available on-line.
3
We live in a society that privileges having - no, buying - stuff constantly. If we stopped being "consumers", our economy would crash. We produce so little of real value that we have to manufacture desire for the unnecessary.
Those of us who have more than enough have a hard time understanding the sense of being left out of the party by those who cannot afford the trash we buy weekly. If the closest you can come to excess goods is by watching t.v. with its endless advertising, you may well feel despondent. People who have extra cash should consider this before judging others. It takes a real effort to clear your life of the ultimate piece of trash, manufactured desire.
Without advertising to create social pressure to consume, how much of what we buy would we actually chose to buy? If I cannot buy what you are selling, is it odd that I may feel like the Little Match Girl? Only those of us with enough - and the ability to know what that is - can afford to disdain it.
Those of us who have more than enough have a hard time understanding the sense of being left out of the party by those who cannot afford the trash we buy weekly. If the closest you can come to excess goods is by watching t.v. with its endless advertising, you may well feel despondent. People who have extra cash should consider this before judging others. It takes a real effort to clear your life of the ultimate piece of trash, manufactured desire.
Without advertising to create social pressure to consume, how much of what we buy would we actually chose to buy? If I cannot buy what you are selling, is it odd that I may feel like the Little Match Girl? Only those of us with enough - and the ability to know what that is - can afford to disdain it.
2
We had a drop of 90% in our income and only now regaining some 15 years later. Ms. Land's article simply highlights that there are other conditions out there. Not every person has the resources to accumulate valuable stuff in beautiful, open spaces. Its worth remembering the differences.
7
(Not Mark) I'm an Army brat who moved constantly when I was growing up. We had to get rid of a lot of things all the time to make sure we didn't go over our assigned weight. If you did you had to pay for the difference. The limit varies by rank, number of family members, where you might be headed, etc. Do you have any idea how heavy books are? There were quite a few mementos I would have liked to keep, but they had to go. After I left home, but before I could take anything, my mother got rid of even more. I get the feeling in this article that the author is mainly unhappy that other people have more than her. That's a hard feeling to live with.
7
I agree with the author. Every time I see something about decluttering I imagine my neighbors hurrying to the Container Store to buy expensive "organizers" and clearing their closets in preparation for their next shopping spree. I recover my sofa, repurpose furniture by creative use of plywood, and decorate my walls with the humble tools my father and grandfather used to turn raw lumber into boards. Every item in my home has a meaning or a purpose.
Decluttering? If you don't collect meaningless junk, you don't have to dispose of it.
Decluttering? If you don't collect meaningless junk, you don't have to dispose of it.
4
I am "decluttering" my house slowly in anticipation of dying because I don't want my kids to be faced with overwhelming mess and throw things out that might be valuable. That's it.
28
I see this with my mother-in-law, who grew up during the Great Depression. Wood, metal, screws, nuts, bolts, paint, damaged furniture, all hoarded because we might need it and don't want to buy it. Making due is a deeply instilled virtue.
98
Some of the commenters seem to have some difficulty comprehending the difference between choosing to live simply (in a state where you can have more and afford nice treats such as museums and travel) and being forced to live simply because you are hanging in by fingernails. The first is a taste that one cultivates as a result of privileged access to resources. The second is sheer necessity.
I recently began a tenuous move toward middle class status that is complicated by medical and student loan debt. To be frank, I am terrified of returning to my earlier state. There is nothing virtuous about being broke, living in a cramped space and worrying that you can't balance everything. I can now afford to rent a small house in a different region of the country where I can give my daughter her own room and a yard. She is so much happier and it is easier for her to play.
For people who have social class privilege decluttering is like tourism to a poor country. Life in Jamaica looks beautiful if you visiting a resort and can go back home to clean water, no violence and a good job. If is a lot different when you have to live there and deal with dirty water, joblessness, crime and violence. It is a lot easier to be detached from stuff when you are secure in the fact that you can replace it.
As an aside, I now have a mattress and a real bed. It isn't posh and it is a hand me down, but I never want to sleep on a futon on the floor again. :-)
I recently began a tenuous move toward middle class status that is complicated by medical and student loan debt. To be frank, I am terrified of returning to my earlier state. There is nothing virtuous about being broke, living in a cramped space and worrying that you can't balance everything. I can now afford to rent a small house in a different region of the country where I can give my daughter her own room and a yard. She is so much happier and it is easier for her to play.
For people who have social class privilege decluttering is like tourism to a poor country. Life in Jamaica looks beautiful if you visiting a resort and can go back home to clean water, no violence and a good job. If is a lot different when you have to live there and deal with dirty water, joblessness, crime and violence. It is a lot easier to be detached from stuff when you are secure in the fact that you can replace it.
As an aside, I now have a mattress and a real bed. It isn't posh and it is a hand me down, but I never want to sleep on a futon on the floor again. :-)
199
I agree with the author that there are many poor people who cannot afford to have the clutter problem. At the same time, in the U.S. there is such an abundance of cheap stuff that even many in the lower middle class can afford to have this problem.
I think one thing that is overlooked in the article and many of the comments is that often times the result of decluttering is the ability to once again "clutter", so to speak, that is, to start purchasing again. It's sort of like dieting or alcohol consumption or any number of other addictive-like patterns related to consumption. Soon after you feel the pride of having kicked the habit, a void opens up, in part due to how unfulfilling and meaningless "normal" feels in a consumerist society. A mental substitution takes place and we believe the "meaning in life" void is really a consumption void, thus leading to another round of consumption, a temporary endorphin high, and the repetition of the cycle.
I think one thing that is overlooked in the article and many of the comments is that often times the result of decluttering is the ability to once again "clutter", so to speak, that is, to start purchasing again. It's sort of like dieting or alcohol consumption or any number of other addictive-like patterns related to consumption. Soon after you feel the pride of having kicked the habit, a void opens up, in part due to how unfulfilling and meaningless "normal" feels in a consumerist society. A mental substitution takes place and we believe the "meaning in life" void is really a consumption void, thus leading to another round of consumption, a temporary endorphin high, and the repetition of the cycle.
2
I don't understand why the comments are so brutal for the author who is obviously living on the poverty line. Comments actually condemning her for having the nerve to have a second child! Both conservatives and neo-liberals are in agreement: If you can't earn a living wage, then you don't deserve children or to complain about being in poverty.
I can't believe these comments like this: "Why, though, does it bother you if middle class and above folks are encouraged to get rid of some of their stuff?"
This should be in the Onion. Neo-liberals, who "got theirs", are completely unaware of the ridiculous disgust they radiate to those suffering.
Ms. Land, I admire your hard work of cleaning houses, to take care of your little ones. I too, know of those suffering financially, affected by the Recession, who had to give away the stuff they worked so hard for. It makes people feel like they've failed, when they have to sell or give away possessions they truly want or need, because of space considerations. One man I know, who had to give away his tools, can't fix things for himself or others around him anymore. It's been devastating for him.
It's not a wonderful cleansing experience, as those who are completely clueless, preach.
I can't believe these comments like this: "Why, though, does it bother you if middle class and above folks are encouraged to get rid of some of their stuff?"
This should be in the Onion. Neo-liberals, who "got theirs", are completely unaware of the ridiculous disgust they radiate to those suffering.
Ms. Land, I admire your hard work of cleaning houses, to take care of your little ones. I too, know of those suffering financially, affected by the Recession, who had to give away the stuff they worked so hard for. It makes people feel like they've failed, when they have to sell or give away possessions they truly want or need, because of space considerations. One man I know, who had to give away his tools, can't fix things for himself or others around him anymore. It's been devastating for him.
It's not a wonderful cleansing experience, as those who are completely clueless, preach.
19
I agree this is not a class problem. You can be quite poor but still go to garage sales and come home with more than you need. You can be poor but never throw anything away, and stuff accumulates. You can have few possessions, but if everything you have is spilled onto every surface, you will live in a cluttered environment.
Some people are just more attached to their stuff than others. I'm sure it's a deeply psychological thing. Let's not judge.
Some people are just more attached to their stuff than others. I'm sure it's a deeply psychological thing. Let's not judge.
6
Making a case that class is related to clutter is false. The author suggests only wealthy people generate clutter (materialism), and can afford to shed such stuff at will. I beg to differ. I grew up in a family of 10, and we received many hand-me-downs. Those items made a difference to us. Likewise, my dear Mother always culled our clothing and toys and sent them on their way to their next users. We were by no means wealthy, but Mom taught us to share (and, by the way, keep our home German tidy). I continue to live her lessons, and it has made a profound impact on my life and others'. Attempting to turn clutter (or its lack) into class warfare, gentle as she was, makes the author's predicate weak.
15
I have a lot of "stuff" I'd like to get rid of. But it isn't easy. I don't have a car, so getting stuff into boxes is one thing, getting it to the thrift store or dump is something else. I also live on the top floor of a three-storey walk-up and have serious back problems, so just getting stuff to the main floor is difficult. The city doesn't collect dead electronics and such for responsible disposal and I won't put them in the dumpster, both for eco reasons and because I can be fined. So they get shoved into the back of the closet.
I think the author's point is that many people who've thrown themselves into the decluttering fad often adopt an attitude of contempt for those of us who aren't able to follow suit. They see clutter as indicative of a cluttered (or worse) mind, poor hygiene, disorganization, or sheer laziness.
I think the author's point is that many people who've thrown themselves into the decluttering fad often adopt an attitude of contempt for those of us who aren't able to follow suit. They see clutter as indicative of a cluttered (or worse) mind, poor hygiene, disorganization, or sheer laziness.
5
I love my stuff and don't considerate it clutter.
6
Choice, to some degree, is of course a privilege. But I think the annoyance (I don't get anger from this essay) the writer expresses comes from the tendency to jump on a bandwagon in a parade and immediately start to critique those who'd rather walk their own route. I live in the Bible belt, and when I moved back the first question everyone asked me was where I went to church. I learned to mumble an answer that implied I went somewhere or said I was Catholic. But the same sense of being judged also comes from others who assure me that if I only start juicing or stop eating gluten, lactose, meat, meat products, processed foods, and Lord have mercy, surely refined sugar, I will no longer suffer any aches and pains, the common cold, or irritation.
I think that's what she's saying: Quit posting pictures of poor people in Wal-Mart because you're skinny and can afford to shop at the local market and eat only organic. Stop rolling your eyes at people whose big pleasure (because they can't afford your vacay to sit at the feet of a guru in India or gathering seashells on an exotic beach) is the marked-down big screen TV. Stop judging the person who grew up in a 950 square foot ranch house with one bathroom for eight people (that's me) for wanting a big house and being proud of their yards.
I think what she's saying is, be grateful and not so proud of your own superiority?
I think that's what she's saying: Quit posting pictures of poor people in Wal-Mart because you're skinny and can afford to shop at the local market and eat only organic. Stop rolling your eyes at people whose big pleasure (because they can't afford your vacay to sit at the feet of a guru in India or gathering seashells on an exotic beach) is the marked-down big screen TV. Stop judging the person who grew up in a 950 square foot ranch house with one bathroom for eight people (that's me) for wanting a big house and being proud of their yards.
I think what she's saying is, be grateful and not so proud of your own superiority?
9
Good comment. My summer vacation this year is swimming in the town pool, going to free fireworks, and watching free movies on our Black Friday tv when it's too hot in the evening to sit outside with a bonfire in the the fire pit. I'm having a great time. It's a good life.
PS there's also the library. Fun to sit by the fire with a rescue dog and a good book.
PS there's also the library. Fun to sit by the fire with a rescue dog and a good book.
7
Minimalism in one's life? Lifestyle of no clutter? Being grateful for what little one has in life? A non-materialistic lifestyle?
I seem to have been blessed/cursed by not needing much in way of possessions in life, but this seems born of little merit on my part; rather life has always stunned me, left me reeling, wondering more about what is going on and how I can find out what the heck is going on...I want things much less than I want to just know what the heck is going on. "He became a lot more philosophical after he got punched in the face".
I do notice a lot of effort though to get people to be less materialistic, less grasping, selfish. Sometimes it seems absurd, such as attempts to make people feel grateful for what they have in life by pointing out all the ways others are more unfortunate in life, gratitude apparently defined as a feeling of being satiated with one's possessions, a momentary halting of one's grasping nature, dependent on examples of human suffering before the eye. Not exactly charity born in the heart this swelling, this wonderful feeling of gratitude which waxes and wanes depending on how much suffering is before the eye.
I suppose it might be possible to make people less selfish, less cluttered, less materialistic, create a minimalistic/socialistic society, but it is more likely people will strive for a machine which requires little maintenance, little energy and which provides a novelty, triviality every day to occupy blessed little minds.
I seem to have been blessed/cursed by not needing much in way of possessions in life, but this seems born of little merit on my part; rather life has always stunned me, left me reeling, wondering more about what is going on and how I can find out what the heck is going on...I want things much less than I want to just know what the heck is going on. "He became a lot more philosophical after he got punched in the face".
I do notice a lot of effort though to get people to be less materialistic, less grasping, selfish. Sometimes it seems absurd, such as attempts to make people feel grateful for what they have in life by pointing out all the ways others are more unfortunate in life, gratitude apparently defined as a feeling of being satiated with one's possessions, a momentary halting of one's grasping nature, dependent on examples of human suffering before the eye. Not exactly charity born in the heart this swelling, this wonderful feeling of gratitude which waxes and wanes depending on how much suffering is before the eye.
I suppose it might be possible to make people less selfish, less cluttered, less materialistic, create a minimalistic/socialistic society, but it is more likely people will strive for a machine which requires little maintenance, little energy and which provides a novelty, triviality every day to occupy blessed little minds.
2
we seem to live in a society where next thing you know, choosing not to eat with a fork will become a statement of class politics. i don't think decluttering has anything to do with class politics. why does something as simple as getting rid of things in your house have to become a social statement? it's not. growing up we weren't well off, by any means. we recycled gift wrapping paper, used hand-me-downs, repaired gadgets, repurposed items for reuse, and my mother used to stitch my dresses. we never felt disadvantaged. and, we were neat. every few months my mother would have us open up our closets and have us discard what we hadn't used in a while. the lesson was, if you haven't used it in a while, give it away to someone who will use it. and every time we wanted something, both parents would ask repeatedly, "do you really need it? why do you need it? how long will you really use it?" this wasn't just because money was limited. this also allowed us kids to understand the value of objects and, yes, to engage with consumerism wisely. my husband was brought up the same way, under similar financial circumstances. today we are in a higher "class" than we were as kids. but we still carry with us the same mindset of "do we really need this thing?" and "if we haven't used this object in a year, do we really need to keep this?" it makes for a healthy bank balance. and less credit card debt. it's a financial decision, it's a personal statement. not a class statement.
6
We downsized last summer and gave 23 huge items away for free for Craig's list like rugs, dressers, file cabinets, book cases, etc. the people who came to take items were grateful because they had been burned out of their apartments, were newly arrived from out of the country, students who were newly arrived to the city, etc. as long the items are clean, safe and useful, why not? Try looking around and then take the pictures and post it for others to take. At least they know it came from a pest free, clean and good home with a history which they will know and you feel like a good person helping another in a generous way.
5
How do you know the people who took your stuff for free didn't sell it for a profit?
2
Would it matter if they did sell it?
8
Interesting. But I don't think this applies to all the lower socio-economic layers of America. I've seen very modest homes that have new cars in the driveway, with huge tv's, satellite dishes, and all manner of "toys." In the South, I've seen tiny homes filled to the ceiling with stuff, often left in the bag, with an obvious disinterest in ever emptying them.
I do agree that many people that have experienced great loss, or severe economic depressions cling to items that have no value, they are merely a mosaic of a would-be security blanket, my maternal grandparents among them.
I do agree that many people that have experienced great loss, or severe economic depressions cling to items that have no value, they are merely a mosaic of a would-be security blanket, my maternal grandparents among them.
4
Well, this article certainly brought out the snobs, didn't it?
I agree with you Ms. Land. I read the (stupid) book on the advice of a friend and howled throughout. Definitely a "first world problem."
Many of these commenters remind me of my college students who moan "but it's just a movie" when they are confronted with racist, sexist, and/or classist messages throughout the said movie. Usually the moaners are white, upper middle class students who fear confronting their own privilege. They are shocked that their view--represented in fads and other cultural events--is not universal.
Thank you for the article. The point of it was quite clear to me: I think I will add the concept to my cultural studies class.
I agree with you Ms. Land. I read the (stupid) book on the advice of a friend and howled throughout. Definitely a "first world problem."
Many of these commenters remind me of my college students who moan "but it's just a movie" when they are confronted with racist, sexist, and/or classist messages throughout the said movie. Usually the moaners are white, upper middle class students who fear confronting their own privilege. They are shocked that their view--represented in fads and other cultural events--is not universal.
Thank you for the article. The point of it was quite clear to me: I think I will add the concept to my cultural studies class.
11
I'm amazed at the defensive comments made by readers of this essay. They all seem to defend a middle class "fad" by criticizing the writer, some contemptuously, others with lectures.
This is a woman who has worked terribly hard to provide for her two daughters. Isn't that what members of higher social classes have advocated--"pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?" She should be praised, but many here are defensively "hitting back". A class problem? You bet.
This is a woman who has worked terribly hard to provide for her two daughters. Isn't that what members of higher social classes have advocated--"pulling yourself up by your bootstraps?" She should be praised, but many here are defensively "hitting back". A class problem? You bet.
23
I appreciate this writer's perspective. I'm not wealthy, nor am I poor; I consider myself middle-class. I try to live simply and avoid clutter. Each summer, I get rid of stuff that hasn't been used in the past year, but that still leaves me with shelves full of mementos and items I am just not ready to part with. I admit that I am part of the judgmental crowd who scoffs at the Black Friday shoppers. I never thought of them the way this writer portrays them. Surely, there are people among them who ARE materialistic or simply love the rush of getting a deal worth bragging about, but no doubt, there are many who could not afford those items unless they were being offered at a deep discount. So, thank you for changing my perspective on this. Indeed, choosing simplicity is far different than being forced into it.
9
I worked as a community organizer in a low income area and only made minimum wage myself. I grew up in a working class family that for most of my life struggled to make ends meet. Both living with my family and on my own I felt myself drowning in stuff, and I saw it in the people I worked with. If the focus of this piece were lack of time to organize, I'd tend to agree, but to say it's not an issue for lower income people based on her experience doesn't pass the universality sniff test.
11
I am with Stephanie. Decluttering a 400 square foot space versus a 3 bedroom house with a garage, basement and attic are not comparable? I am shocked at the tone of women who are affluent towards those of us who by choice or necessity live differently.
8
How do you know which people are affluent by their comments?
4
Ms. Land, thank you for writing this piece. Yours is a voice that is seldom heard in many quarters. I don't believe that the current minimalism craze came about as a way to shame people (see the recent NY Times piece featuring Kondo), but I can see how it could feel that way. Class is only one component of the complicated relationships that Americans have to their "stuff." It's more of a PhD thesis than a short article, as you can see in these comments. I applaud you for pondering what you see and speaking up. People need to consider many perspectives as they try to live "the good life."
13
The media has convince everyone that we need those luxuries one gets at christmas sales. We must have the latest iPhone or Blu-ray player.
Clutter ends when we all realize that none of these things reflects our self worth.
Clutter ends when we all realize that none of these things reflects our self worth.
3
I loved this article because it finally explains what is important about "stuff" and that is that it provides "a record of my history." As we all look for immortality in one way or another this makes sense and as we age and see our records slip away with each death of a loved one we realize that only our creaky memories will provide that record. Why is that important? I am not sure but that question is one I am looking forward to finding the answer in the future.
3
I think you need to read the book. I think you'll see there's no social shaming of "people teetering on or below the poverty line". Clutter and seeking comfort in material things are conditions of the consumption class, to which we all are members. The problem is NOT having meaningful totems that anchor our identities, it's having too much meaningless stuff when we derive more value from experiences than stuff. This is not about you. This is about being human.
8
Aha! So we tell stories to distract ourselves from the awareness of mortality. Some stories are grounded on the deities others not. In the end all these stories become collectively religious, even the secular ones. Witness the rituals we engage in within our families, workplaces, communities and nation.
We feel compelled to preserve childhood mementos and trinkets for posterity, in remembrance of our past lives, grounding icons of our existence, hoping these things will assist our transcendence from oblivion. We all do it because we all need to, even when we claim otherwise. Isn't that why we have "Gardens of Stone?"
I wish the author extended her analysis beyond the limits of socio-economic class.
We feel compelled to preserve childhood mementos and trinkets for posterity, in remembrance of our past lives, grounding icons of our existence, hoping these things will assist our transcendence from oblivion. We all do it because we all need to, even when we claim otherwise. Isn't that why we have "Gardens of Stone?"
I wish the author extended her analysis beyond the limits of socio-economic class.
Finally, a reality-based essay that tells the truth about "the little people." Ms. Land is not only a woman to admire, she's a wonderful writer.
7
This feels like an article I could have written some 20 years ago, when I sadly sold the vintage 1920's dresses I inherited so that I could pay my rent. I would have loved to have kept the "stuff" I had then, but I couldn't afford to. However, I think that is just one narrow view. There is nothing really "sudden" about de-cluttering. We've seen shows like Hoarding and Buried Alive that feature middle-class or poorer folks who are drowning in stuff. I remember an episode about a woman who kept buying dolls and stuffed animals even though she hardly had money to pay her utility and rent bills. (That one stuck with me because of the deep loneliness of her situation.) Though I regret selling off some cherished items, it helped me understand what to value and what to let go. With so many refugees fleeing their homes in our time, imagine the decisions they have to make as to what to take and what to leave. When your choice is life or things, you will choose life... and, maybe, if you can, carry along a small token of the life you once had.
102
my favorite kitchen items, have often been discarded leavings, they've been better quality than readily affordable, or very one of a kind that even in this digital marketplace , somehow their fates seem akin to that garment belonging to the condemned Nazarene
1
How is it that, after reading hundreds of studies and essays elaborating the pernicious impacts of socioeconomic status on - literally - every aspect of human and cultural development, a reader of the NYT can be so threatened by Land's notion that economic issues pervade the self-help industry that her or his reflexive response is to argue that, in this country, real economic distinctions do not exist, to remind her that you don't have to be rich to be a hoarder, or to, most problematically, suggest that, Land would see things much more clearly if she hadn't made the ill-advised decision to have and keep her child? At the start of the Trump Convention, that's all we got?
97
The problem with consumerism among the poor and working class is they typically are buying the 55 inch flat screen TV on credit and paying outrageous interest rates and if they fall behind even more outrageous penalties. The real costs can be multiplies of the sticker price. This is part of a cycle of debt which is hard to escape from. I don't begrudge people nice things but the hard driven marketing of consumerism and credit doesn't serve lower income people well in this country.
6
This is a class issue because a documentary on consumption uses footage of Black Friday crowds? Really? It seems to me that we are so overloaded with opinion pieces everywhere that people are now just making up issues in order to have something to write about.
That said, as a recently disabled 50 year old that can no longer do anything for myself, never mind declutter and organize my house (something I used to do every 6 months or so), this op ed truly irritates me.
If you have the ability and the stuff to declutter, be grateful.
If you don't have stuff to declutter but the ability to do it if you did, be grateful.
As poor as you might be or feel, as rich as you might be or feel, nothing, and I mean NOTHING is worse than losing the ability to do things for yourself - so count your blessings.
That said, as a recently disabled 50 year old that can no longer do anything for myself, never mind declutter and organize my house (something I used to do every 6 months or so), this op ed truly irritates me.
If you have the ability and the stuff to declutter, be grateful.
If you don't have stuff to declutter but the ability to do it if you did, be grateful.
As poor as you might be or feel, as rich as you might be or feel, nothing, and I mean NOTHING is worse than losing the ability to do things for yourself - so count your blessings.
12
A consumer based economy must deal with cluttering ruthlessly because yes one person's clutter....
one is absolutely best served by imposing order, there's an American poet whoses dad's horticultural endeavors lead to the examination of the need for order. Imagine clutter that grows, that suffocates itself and neighbors, there is wisdom and work, in that order, in imposing order, or they're perhaps really the same, one can save a back though.
one is absolutely best served by imposing order, there's an American poet whoses dad's horticultural endeavors lead to the examination of the need for order. Imagine clutter that grows, that suffocates itself and neighbors, there is wisdom and work, in that order, in imposing order, or they're perhaps really the same, one can save a back though.
1
The author tries to have her cake and it eat, too. She makes an argument regarding the nature of who (the rich) pursues a minimalist lifestyle. However, she also makes the claim - albeit correct - that it is the wealthy who also own expensive items; these such goods only become available to the less fortunate through events like Black Friday. Essentially, the author is telling us that it's the wealthy who have a minimalist lifestyle - in the form of decluttering - and the wealthy who have a maximalist lifestyle as well - in the form of luxury goods.
Her title misses the point, and instead, she begins to outline a fairly straightforward conclusion. Class is less about decluttering or showcasing an opulent lifestyle; instead, class is about the ability to have choice. The wealthy can afford to get rid of items and they can afford to purchase pricy ones. Economic privilege gives you the freedom to choose your lifestyle with greater ease.
Her title misses the point, and instead, she begins to outline a fairly straightforward conclusion. Class is less about decluttering or showcasing an opulent lifestyle; instead, class is about the ability to have choice. The wealthy can afford to get rid of items and they can afford to purchase pricy ones. Economic privilege gives you the freedom to choose your lifestyle with greater ease.
2
Having trolled the aisles of Wal Mart on more than one occasion, I can assure you that the vast majority of what is being purveyed there is not essential. The incredible multiplication of consumer goods, widely touted as a a benefit of capitalism, ensures that the majority of people are indeed slaves to their consumer goods.
Perhaps they "can't afford" to buy things outside of Black Friday sales because of the $7,000 in average credit card debt that they hold. And why do they hold this debt? In most cases, its because they purchased one too many home-serve margarita dispensers, or other completely unnecessary niche consumer good that the marketing whizzes have come up with. Let's face it, as a country we are collectively awash in crap. Yes there is a percentage of the population that has limited access to these consumer goods, but due to easy access to credit it is a very small percentage. For most people in the US, too much stuff is indeed a problem. If minimalism helps even a few people get of the credit-card/consumer-good merry-go-round then great.
Perhaps they "can't afford" to buy things outside of Black Friday sales because of the $7,000 in average credit card debt that they hold. And why do they hold this debt? In most cases, its because they purchased one too many home-serve margarita dispensers, or other completely unnecessary niche consumer good that the marketing whizzes have come up with. Let's face it, as a country we are collectively awash in crap. Yes there is a percentage of the population that has limited access to these consumer goods, but due to easy access to credit it is a very small percentage. For most people in the US, too much stuff is indeed a problem. If minimalism helps even a few people get of the credit-card/consumer-good merry-go-round then great.
2
I could not agree more. This year my microwave blew out and my job did not earn enough to replace it with a new one that was of any quality so I went to the thrifts, Goodwill and Salvation Army. What I found was lots of other people cruising the thrifts looking for the semi-disposable electronics cast off of the de-clutters. They didn't even bother to clean them putting them filthy in their cars and dumping them at the donation doors. Having a job, I didn't have the time to find one that didn't disgust me. Only a Christmas gift of cash from a family member combined a big box store sale allowed me to get a new one.
Come to think about it, my Christmas cash has gone to buy a vaccuum cleaner, and pay utility bills for the past years. I've even sold some gift cards for the cash to pay bills.
My relatives bemoan my sorry state of affairs, but from their relative comfort, they really don't comprehend that they are part of the problem, expecting me to solve single handedly the problems of the economy, finance industry and inequality. It must be because I am shiftless, lazy, lacking in the qualities that make me attractive to employers.
None of them have ever held the jobs I've taken since the Great Recession and think my anecdotes from on the job are resentful hyperbole. I love them, but they really, really don't understand and are too afraid for themselves to want to.
Come to think about it, my Christmas cash has gone to buy a vaccuum cleaner, and pay utility bills for the past years. I've even sold some gift cards for the cash to pay bills.
My relatives bemoan my sorry state of affairs, but from their relative comfort, they really don't comprehend that they are part of the problem, expecting me to solve single handedly the problems of the economy, finance industry and inequality. It must be because I am shiftless, lazy, lacking in the qualities that make me attractive to employers.
None of them have ever held the jobs I've taken since the Great Recession and think my anecdotes from on the job are resentful hyperbole. I love them, but they really, really don't understand and are too afraid for themselves to want to.
14
Um, look who's social shaming now.
9
How about some people are neat and some are slobs and it doesn't matter what "class" you are in? Perhaps some of the self help manuals simply address the best way to tidy up? Get rid of junk and clean up and you will feel better, whether you are rich or poor. For goodness sake people -- lighten up.
15
Live however you want! It's a free country! Keep some stuff! Get rid of some stuff! Love it! Leave it! Do what you like!
18
The comments demonstrate that while the median household income in the U.S. is not much more than $50,000, that of NYT readers is about $150,000—who, because they are not rich, like to congratulate themselves on their virtue, and to blame struggling people of the lower orders for not ascribing to their ethical aesthetic. Most aren't even trying to understand what Stephanie Land is saying.
In other words, you people are being way too mean toward her, and are coming off as defensive and insecure in ways you don't even realize.
In other words, you people are being way too mean toward her, and are coming off as defensive and insecure in ways you don't even realize.
47
Couldn't agree more.
2
First world problem. Not a class thing.
4
Or as my good friend Johanna used to say, "Bourgeois complaints".
3
Agreed
Sometimes the times published articles that certify that it's staff are just a bunch of rich kids
Clutter is a upper class problem
If you don't think that's true then you've likely identified the class that raised you or are currently in.
The times serves Manhattan and its constituents but wants to be a global newspaper as well. It will cover the hamptons summer parties and also cover Diabetes and poverty. It's a hard task. I hope your staff is diverse. Otherwise you will fail because you won't understand your readers because they live lives that you don't understand
Sometimes the times published articles that certify that it's staff are just a bunch of rich kids
Clutter is a upper class problem
If you don't think that's true then you've likely identified the class that raised you or are currently in.
The times serves Manhattan and its constituents but wants to be a global newspaper as well. It will cover the hamptons summer parties and also cover Diabetes and poverty. It's a hard task. I hope your staff is diverse. Otherwise you will fail because you won't understand your readers because they live lives that you don't understand
6
I think this article is an oversimplification, and misses part of the point.
Accumulating "stuff" can happen across a pretty wide economic spectrum. Not all stuff is expensive. One of the banes of my existence is the reams of paperwork that comes home from school, for example. For that matter, you don't need to be very well off to need to throw things out.
It is the ability to devote mental energy to carefully considering one's possessions that requires that you not be devoting all your mental energy to the task of survival.
Accumulating "stuff" can happen across a pretty wide economic spectrum. Not all stuff is expensive. One of the banes of my existence is the reams of paperwork that comes home from school, for example. For that matter, you don't need to be very well off to need to throw things out.
It is the ability to devote mental energy to carefully considering one's possessions that requires that you not be devoting all your mental energy to the task of survival.
133
Alexis of Pa! "It is the ability to devote mental energy to carefully considering one's possessions that requires that you not be devoting all your mental energy to the task of survival." Amen to that and thanks for saying it! I am retired and find it utterly exhausting to try to figure out what to do with my stuff. The "task of survival" means not only the work of making a living, but also the exhausting mental labor of sorting out in one's own head and in communication the issues of social and family life and, for crying out loud, our national and political misfortunes and misunderstandings.
4
When I can find and buy the Right item that is simple, efficient, works well, is not constructed to fall apart, and has any elegance to it, I will have that one and not four versions, often with one broken. Flat screwdrivers with twisted flats, phiilips heads chipped and grooved, shoes you cannot re-sole, buttons that fall off in a month.
2
The columnist is quite right.
I've heard all the well-meaning blather about materialism, and how you should spend your money on experiences and how friendships are more important.
And yet, the memories of the places I've travelled to have faded. Before my mother died, I recalled our 1970 trip to England and asked her why we didn't visit Westminster Abbey. 'We did,' she said. Now, you'd think I'd remember that. But I find if I don't have a souvenir to bring it back, it fades. With a few exceptions, if I didn't have playbills, cast albums, etc. I wouldn't remember the shows I've seen. The only reason I kept my high school yearbook is to confirm I did go (though it is an experience I've otherwise worked hard to forget). I remember from college what I learned in class; most of the professors and almost all my fellow students are vague ghosts. (Before you ask: I was teetotal, drugfree, and celibate those years.)
With regard to friendships, I would have been better off without at least half my 'friends', and the ones I would have kept, circumstances, including death, intervened.
So I like my stuff. I'm not rich; in fact, since being laid off, I'm poor. But you are not gonna guilt me out of my stuff, folks.
I've heard all the well-meaning blather about materialism, and how you should spend your money on experiences and how friendships are more important.
And yet, the memories of the places I've travelled to have faded. Before my mother died, I recalled our 1970 trip to England and asked her why we didn't visit Westminster Abbey. 'We did,' she said. Now, you'd think I'd remember that. But I find if I don't have a souvenir to bring it back, it fades. With a few exceptions, if I didn't have playbills, cast albums, etc. I wouldn't remember the shows I've seen. The only reason I kept my high school yearbook is to confirm I did go (though it is an experience I've otherwise worked hard to forget). I remember from college what I learned in class; most of the professors and almost all my fellow students are vague ghosts. (Before you ask: I was teetotal, drugfree, and celibate those years.)
With regard to friendships, I would have been better off without at least half my 'friends', and the ones I would have kept, circumstances, including death, intervened.
So I like my stuff. I'm not rich; in fact, since being laid off, I'm poor. But you are not gonna guilt me out of my stuff, folks.
42
This article paints a picture of decluttering with far too broad and judgmental a brush. My husband and I lived for many years in the wonderful old house of my childhood, where we raised our own children and took care of my parents as they aged in place and passed away. A few years ago we moved out of financial prudence into a small apartment, and sold, gifted, or gave away most of our possessions, including our cars. Downsizing was a transformative experience. It reduced our carbon footprint enormously, a greater good to which we should all be aspiring more actively, it seems to me. It was also difficult, tedious, and time-consuming work -- which I suspect is why most people don't attempt it unless they must, regardless of their socioeconomic status.
20
I find it amusing that "minimalism" and "decluttering" have become a movement.
Keep a clean, minimal house. Great. Keep a lot of stuff. Fine by me. I don't really have any business in caring about how others fill their personal space inside their home.
Keep a clean, minimal house. Great. Keep a lot of stuff. Fine by me. I don't really have any business in caring about how others fill their personal space inside their home.
15
I have a similar view from different evidence.
I believe that the "declutter movement" is a matter of privilege. I have two examples from "living life" in relationship with people with less economic means. (Please mind you, my wife and I are huge fans of "decluttering.")
First. Why would someone have three carrot peelers? Because they are wealthy, or because they are poor? Correct answer is poor. A carrot peeler at a garage sale might fetch $0.25 or $0.10. The same carrot peeler might cost you anywhere from $8.95 to $17.95 retail. (If you don't believe me, go check Amazon.) So what does a prudent poor person do when they break their carrot peeler or it no longer works? They use the back-up obtained from the garage sale. The wealthy person goes on line and has a new one delivered in 48 hours. Same is true for T-shirts.
Second. One of the sources of great clutter is holiday decorations. Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving....all holidays that give a person the opportunity to change the clothing of their home. Personally, I think that this is crazy clutter. BUT as it was explained to me by someone with less means, it is a sort of vacation that cannot otherwise be afforded. While I climb on board an airplane to change my surrounds, someone with less means that frequents tag sales and flea markets can accomplish "change of view" far more cheaply by changing how their home appears.
Having less might be about having more.
I believe that the "declutter movement" is a matter of privilege. I have two examples from "living life" in relationship with people with less economic means. (Please mind you, my wife and I are huge fans of "decluttering.")
First. Why would someone have three carrot peelers? Because they are wealthy, or because they are poor? Correct answer is poor. A carrot peeler at a garage sale might fetch $0.25 or $0.10. The same carrot peeler might cost you anywhere from $8.95 to $17.95 retail. (If you don't believe me, go check Amazon.) So what does a prudent poor person do when they break their carrot peeler or it no longer works? They use the back-up obtained from the garage sale. The wealthy person goes on line and has a new one delivered in 48 hours. Same is true for T-shirts.
Second. One of the sources of great clutter is holiday decorations. Christmas, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's, Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving....all holidays that give a person the opportunity to change the clothing of their home. Personally, I think that this is crazy clutter. BUT as it was explained to me by someone with less means, it is a sort of vacation that cannot otherwise be afforded. While I climb on board an airplane to change my surrounds, someone with less means that frequents tag sales and flea markets can accomplish "change of view" far more cheaply by changing how their home appears.
Having less might be about having more.
317
Actually, people wind up with 3 peeler (and 5 hammers, etc.) because they can't find the first peeler. People with a decluttered live style don't have this problem. I once help cleaning out the house of someone on limited income and we kept find the same thing over and over (3 hair driers, dozens of hair brushes). Her comment? "I knew I had that someplace"
5
Thank you for pointing this out. I knew a woman of very modest means who scavenged for, among other things, discarded damaged "granny" carts in order to collect the wheels as spares for her own cart. As she explained, the wheels and tires were usually the first parts to break or wear out, while the body of the cart could last for many years. She also kept 2 second-hand tuner/amp/cassette systems in order to have a single fully functioning one. And yes - decorations for every holiday.
1
Interesting observations, Steve. I think your comments also illustrate the crucial point that these issues are intensely subjective, and that judging others based on their relationships with things is usually not valid.
2
This author's point is that it is better to be rich than poor because rich people can afford to throw their old "things" out and buy new "things" and repeat this pattern endlessly until death. Quite a depressing philosophy in my opinion! Why not stop accumulating "things" and try to accumulate loving relationships with friends and relatives? And when a relationship stops being loving, throw the relationship out and look for a new loving relationship!
43
I think you missed the point of Land's essay entirely. The reasons why the already comfortable get rid of stuff is entirely different from the reason the not-so-comfortable get ride or stuff, choose to hang on to it, or acquire new (to them) stuff. I have been on both ends of the comfort continuum and have chosen to unburden myself of stuff, forced to unburden myself, and taken in new stuff. Having done all of that I am now very conscious effort of aquiring anything that I don't really need even though I am back in the high comfort end. As I am more aware of how quickly one's financial stability can disappear, I try to acquire only those things that I need and that will truly add to my quality of life over the long haul.
6
That's not her point.
2
This point-of-view shows how relative so many issues are. For me and, perhaps, others of my age, decluttering is an existential question. Since I am a senior citizen, everything I own, and everything I envision owning, has an ephemeral quality. My stuff doesn't look like it did when I knew I'd have years to use it. I have to look at everything and ask myself: Is it fair to leave this behind for someone else to take care of, or is its disposal my responsibility? One's collection of electrical cables begins to look absurd. As for new purchases, I have to consider whether I am going to live long enough to take advantage of owning this new item. Decluttering for old folks is a philosophical reality, and one can take great satisfaction in knowing all his puffy shirts are down at the Goodwill, his files are in order, and his will is in a safe. One never know, do one?
448
Hi R.!
The box of electrical cables made me laugh out loud (I have one, too). DH and I have not only our own clutter but the remains of all 4 of our parents, since he's an only and I'm the only one with a house on my side. What to do with boxes of slides from my childhood, albums from our parents' childhoods, marriages, etc., and in several cases boxes of stuff relating to grand- and great-grandparents.... it's too hot. I'm going to lie in the hammock. :)
The box of electrical cables made me laugh out loud (I have one, too). DH and I have not only our own clutter but the remains of all 4 of our parents, since he's an only and I'm the only one with a house on my side. What to do with boxes of slides from my childhood, albums from our parents' childhoods, marriages, etc., and in several cases boxes of stuff relating to grand- and great-grandparents.... it's too hot. I'm going to lie in the hammock. :)
4
Exactly. My husband and I have one (grown) child. One of the things that drives my ongoing de-cluttering activities is that I imagine her, grieving the loss of us in a car accident or something, and being faced with a lot of stuff of questionable worth and wondering what to do with it. If it could fetch some money at an estate sale, fine, but otherwise, if we don't actively want it - out it goes.
3
One's will should NEVER be in a bank safe. It should be in a folder with all other important paper that your executor or someone close to you or your lawyer should have immediate access to. Or in a home safe that someone else has knowledge of and access to. Otherwise, at age 75, everything said here is so very wise. Now, what to do with those Corning Ware blue flowered cooking pots? Oh, that enormous soup pot. Only one of me now. The memories overwhelm.
2
I'm surprised at some of the comments here. For heaven's sake, she's not saying it's great to have clutter or that more affluent people shouldn't be decluttering. She's simply saying that paring down to only what you need right now isn't an affordable option for everyone. You may need that item later, and you don't have the money to go buy one at the drop of a hat. It's why people hang on to junk cars (parts for working cars), twine, Clorox bottles and jelly jars (kid may be able to use this for a school project ), and hideous old lamps (if the $10 lamp you bought at Family Dollar breaks, you have this old thing that will at least give you light). "Decluttering" has become a value to some people, but that which you call decluttering by another name may be called "wasteful."
57
I think this is a wonderful essay. Perhaps the reason some readers don't understand her point is because she has hit a sore spot in our culture; that class matters. It's everything. What class you are born into colors everything in your life.
62
I'm gobsmacked by some of the mean-spirited comments here. There are a number of self-improvement movements carry a certain judgement and are blind to the fact that they pre-suppose resources of time and money which not everyone has. Eat local, cook slow, run marathons, provide your children with any number of "essential" opportunities and experiences -- and if you don't, it's somehow a moral failure. The author points out how de-cluttering and minimalizing falls into that uneasy territory.
I would add another factor she doesn't mention -- it's easy to toss something, when you know you can afford to replace it, should you discover you need it later. When you're not sure, and you may not have money later on -- you hang onto it, just to be safe. My Great Depression-scarred grandparents were NOT into de-cluttering -- and many people today are living through their own economic depressions.
Anyway, I don't hear the author judging you and your choices -- she's simply asking you to see that not everyone has those choices, and not to pass quick one-size-fits-all judgement on those to whom those choices bring a different set of costs and benefits. And yet people respond defensively, instantly pass judgement and deny that economic situation is relevant: "Other people have less!" "You shouldn't have kids!" "Nothing to do with class!" W"hat about hoarders, huh?"
Life is complicated. One size does not fit all. We all gain by seeing how the world looks from another perspective.
I would add another factor she doesn't mention -- it's easy to toss something, when you know you can afford to replace it, should you discover you need it later. When you're not sure, and you may not have money later on -- you hang onto it, just to be safe. My Great Depression-scarred grandparents were NOT into de-cluttering -- and many people today are living through their own economic depressions.
Anyway, I don't hear the author judging you and your choices -- she's simply asking you to see that not everyone has those choices, and not to pass quick one-size-fits-all judgement on those to whom those choices bring a different set of costs and benefits. And yet people respond defensively, instantly pass judgement and deny that economic situation is relevant: "Other people have less!" "You shouldn't have kids!" "Nothing to do with class!" W"hat about hoarders, huh?"
Life is complicated. One size does not fit all. We all gain by seeing how the world looks from another perspective.
123
Why is it necessary to inject class warfare into everything, no matter how inconsequential it is? You mean to tell me that poor people can't even afford to buy some really big plastic bags to get rid of their clutter?
11
Seriously? Because having enough to money or not having enough money impacts every choice. A lot of choices I make without a thought now that I have a good paycheck again. When I didn't have that good paycheck a few years back, and worried if I'd be packing up our car and heading to live with parents, the decision to purchase or throw away could be laborious. My mom was a child of the Great Depression and had a lot to say about both being prepared for just in case and about avoiding clutter. Yeah, when you have little to no money coming in or are simply barely able to pay the rent and put food on the table, you really don't have the money to buy some really big plastic bags.
2
Yes, that's right. Poor people can't even afford to buy really big plastic bags to get rid of said "clutter". Because when the choice is between those bags and whether they should get a gallon of milk and some other essentials, contrary to what conservatives think, they buy the gallon of milk.
6
Certainly there is a connection between clutter and income (and class). Well-to-do people can discard household items, canned goods, tools, etc., that they don't often use and don't expect to use because they know they can easily afford to purchase these things again if they do need them in the future. But if you don't have much money, you will feel the need to keep things around to eliminate the possibility that you will need to buy them again. Money makes de-cluttering easier.
37
I come from a family of refugees. The number of things they had from their childhoods amounted to a few photographs and the very few things that they were able to leave Germany with. If they missed their childhood stuff, they never mentioned it. Frankly, I doubt it ever occurred to them that an adult would keep things like childhood art projects. They were not minimalists but they never even approached clutter. And they got rid of "stuff" without regret as adults.
When it comes to accumulating stuff, I've come to believe that some people are born collectors and some are not. Some need those reminders; some don't. It has very little to do with issues of class and everything to do with personal preferences.
However I do think you have a point. The preciousness of Marie Kondo's approach is truly an upper middle class vice. Poor people can't sit around sucking their thumbs over whether this pair of underpants gives them "joy" or not or whether a futon is an acceptable couch or bed. At the same time, one of the greatest changes that has happened in my lifetime is how cheap so much has become and how frequently stuff is resold even more cheaply. It's not just the rich who are awash in stuff.
When it comes to accumulating stuff, I've come to believe that some people are born collectors and some are not. Some need those reminders; some don't. It has very little to do with issues of class and everything to do with personal preferences.
However I do think you have a point. The preciousness of Marie Kondo's approach is truly an upper middle class vice. Poor people can't sit around sucking their thumbs over whether this pair of underpants gives them "joy" or not or whether a futon is an acceptable couch or bed. At the same time, one of the greatest changes that has happened in my lifetime is how cheap so much has become and how frequently stuff is resold even more cheaply. It's not just the rich who are awash in stuff.
48
"Frankly, I doubt it ever occurred to them that an adult would keep things like childhood art projects." It never really occurred to me either, before reading this article. I think I have one photo album, and a baby dress my grandmother made for me, that I was saving in case I have grandchildren. And that's it.
"Poor people can't sit around sucking their thumbs over whether this pair of underpants gives them 'joy'...". That "joy" language baffles me too. It's underwear. Keep it, or throw it out. The thing is that you can get underwear and socks pretty inexpensively. There is no need to hang on to old stuff when you get new stuff, especially if the old stuff has holes. How many pairs of socks do you need? Six pairs without holes beats twenty pairs that you have to paw through every morning to find some your toes don't poke through. And that is where some people I love and care about fall down.
"Poor people can't sit around sucking their thumbs over whether this pair of underpants gives them 'joy'...". That "joy" language baffles me too. It's underwear. Keep it, or throw it out. The thing is that you can get underwear and socks pretty inexpensively. There is no need to hang on to old stuff when you get new stuff, especially if the old stuff has holes. How many pairs of socks do you need? Six pairs without holes beats twenty pairs that you have to paw through every morning to find some your toes don't poke through. And that is where some people I love and care about fall down.
2
In a country where there is a resale shop, Dollar General or some other store selling "stuff" for very little, the temptation to buy and the means to do so are offered to overwhelming majority. I volunteer at a thrift store in my community and have seen many of the same faces every Saturday morning for years. They spend a few dollars on several bags stuffed with everything imaginable. And they do this every single week.
The two most cluttered house I see on a regular basis belong to people at opposite ends of the income spectrum. Granted, the "clutter" belonging to the upper class family cost more than what I see in the home where EBT cards and WIC vouchers are lying around. Stacks of the most recent hardback bestsellers are much different than stacks of $.05 paperbacks or free magazines from the thrift store.
The two most cluttered house I see on a regular basis belong to people at opposite ends of the income spectrum. Granted, the "clutter" belonging to the upper class family cost more than what I see in the home where EBT cards and WIC vouchers are lying around. Stacks of the most recent hardback bestsellers are much different than stacks of $.05 paperbacks or free magazines from the thrift store.
17
I have to agree with Dr Rosenblum, this is an inane article. Whys it if someone doesn't agree with a personal choice we make its suddenly about class or race. And if this is truly a class issue, who cares? If it makes someone feel better to get rid of their stuff hen good for them. If someone can't afford to declutter then son what. What is the point of this article, poor people can't declutter or is it upper middle class people should be concerned that poor people can't declutter? Either proposition is nonsensical. Cluttering is something that makes some people feel better without hurting anyone else, do we really need to wake words criticizing that?
14
True. Clutter is mostly a 'problem' for the better off. And your point would be? Is the point that those who don't have clutter don't need to clean it out? Is it that you personally don't have much? The end point seems to be that you resent criticism of the Black Friday crowds since some of them cannot otherwise afford the big ticket items. That is a fair enough point.
I'm not much into stuff. Having moved 11 times since college I can also tell you that there is nothing like frequent moves to keep down the knickknacks and other clutter. Why, though, does it bother you if middle class and above folks are encouraged to get rid of some of their stuff? What's wrong with that? Ideally, some of those things will find their way to the Salvation Army store or elsewhere there they can be had by others. Ideally, the better-off with less cluttered lives will find a bit more time to look outward in service to the community.
It's not your issue. You seem to resent those who do have that issue. You make choices; they make choices; many things happen in your life and in their lives over which you/they have no control. Why is what might be good for them uncomfortable for you?
I'm not much into stuff. Having moved 11 times since college I can also tell you that there is nothing like frequent moves to keep down the knickknacks and other clutter. Why, though, does it bother you if middle class and above folks are encouraged to get rid of some of their stuff? What's wrong with that? Ideally, some of those things will find their way to the Salvation Army store or elsewhere there they can be had by others. Ideally, the better-off with less cluttered lives will find a bit more time to look outward in service to the community.
It's not your issue. You seem to resent those who do have that issue. You make choices; they make choices; many things happen in your life and in their lives over which you/they have no control. Why is what might be good for them uncomfortable for you?
119
You sound defensive, Ms. Hislop. "It's not your issue"? Of course it is. She is pointing out a "problem" for middle class people that is the result of being comfortable, and reminding us of those who have more important things to worry about--like feeding their kids.
1
Sounds like trickle down Reagonnomics to me.
That only worked out best for the overflow crowd .
The statistics for the years prior to 1928 depression related to income disparity are identical on a graph . Prime for history to repeat itself .
Perhaps your contribution to society is till and you are content to see other downtrodden humans suffer due to the one flaw in capitalism
Greed above all else
a monopoly game with only one winner .
That only worked out best for the overflow crowd .
The statistics for the years prior to 1928 depression related to income disparity are identical on a graph . Prime for history to repeat itself .
Perhaps your contribution to society is till and you are content to see other downtrodden humans suffer due to the one flaw in capitalism
Greed above all else
a monopoly game with only one winner .
1
Privileged people buying much more stuff than they need is everybody's issue because our consumerist materialistic lifestyle is a driver of disruptive climate change, which affects all life on the planet. The poor are hit first and worst. It's a moral issue.
5
Efficient housekeeping is not an economic issue and politicizing it confuses and derails the conversation. The point is to get rid of the UNneccesary not the necessary stuff and avoid clutter by keeping what we do have organized. De-cluttering and organizing ideas to keep them sensible is helpful too. This article does the opposite.
94
sarai writes: "the point is to get rid of the UNnecessry".. yet ignores the fact that there is no hard-and-fast definition of "necessary". Technically speaking, the only necessary possessions are a rag to cover one's genitals and a bowl to carry the food for which one begs. Many advocates of poverty survive with that little.
Beyond that, life gets easier with the accumulation of possessions (shoes, a cooking pot, a tarp to keep the rain off) up to a point.
Where that point lies is what we're discussing here. But dismissing the article as "confusing and derailing the conversation" because it doesn't adhere to your personal definition of "necessary" and "UNnecessary" makes no sense.
Beyond that, life gets easier with the accumulation of possessions (shoes, a cooking pot, a tarp to keep the rain off) up to a point.
Where that point lies is what we're discussing here. But dismissing the article as "confusing and derailing the conversation" because it doesn't adhere to your personal definition of "necessary" and "UNnecessary" makes no sense.
2
I gave no definition of what was necessary, personal or otherwise; it varies with individuals starting with the advocates of poverty you refer to. Many people are loath to part with stuff even if they rarely use it so the Unnecessary accumulates. They need help with these decisions and with ways to maintain order. Which is why Kondo's book is a mega best -seller.
2
Whether one finds this light midsummer column interesting or not so much, one thing is for sure: "clutter," "decluttering," and "minimalizing" are all absolutely positively first-world problems. Glad to be here for a time when we could pause to ponder this one. Thank you God.
56
Let them eat minimalism!
26
Less is more. Clutter stifles many people until it buries them. Donate clothes you are not wearing to the less fortunate. Are there things you are not using you could sell or donate. Start with one room at a time to organize. You will feel liberated.
30
Did you not understand the article? She had to get rid of the things that made her feel loved and safe ... A painting she had done as a child that her mother had framed, antique Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls, her kid's toys, because she couldn't afford the place she was living and had to move to a 400 sq ft space! That is not decluttering! Maybe the clothes she had that didn't fit were her only clothes. If she got rid of them, what would she wear?
9
Poppycock. Keep your stuff... like everyone always has.
5
This is not a class, economic or educational problem. The problem is the author has not spent enough time with different groups of people.
When I lived in New York's East Village, I met many - white, black, Hispanic, Asian; poor, working and middle class, with diverse levels of education and wealth - living marginally, who frequently "decluttered" for various reasons.
In the last 10 years, as a psychologist, I have conducted frequent home visits (seeing a level of poverty in the rural South I never encountered in any part of New York City) where people amassed enormous amounts of "stuff." I could "psychologize" and say that this stuff served as an emotional bulwark against the rather odious class prejudice (against poor whites as much as against blacks in general) that seems to pervade Southern culture.
But I won't. Ms. Land, get out more and talk to more kinds of people. The problem, at its root, is an American culture - and one that has in recent decades infected the entire planet - that is so inwardly empty (calling David Brooks?) that fulfillment can only be found in the accumulation of "stuff."
Let go of this existentially impoverished focus on "things" and look with simple, deep, mindful attention (not MxMindfulness but with the contemplative eye with which, Meister Eckart tells us, we see God) at what this world of experience is really about, and the problem of stuff (as well as the problem of neoliberal globalist exploitation) will go away.
When I lived in New York's East Village, I met many - white, black, Hispanic, Asian; poor, working and middle class, with diverse levels of education and wealth - living marginally, who frequently "decluttered" for various reasons.
In the last 10 years, as a psychologist, I have conducted frequent home visits (seeing a level of poverty in the rural South I never encountered in any part of New York City) where people amassed enormous amounts of "stuff." I could "psychologize" and say that this stuff served as an emotional bulwark against the rather odious class prejudice (against poor whites as much as against blacks in general) that seems to pervade Southern culture.
But I won't. Ms. Land, get out more and talk to more kinds of people. The problem, at its root, is an American culture - and one that has in recent decades infected the entire planet - that is so inwardly empty (calling David Brooks?) that fulfillment can only be found in the accumulation of "stuff."
Let go of this existentially impoverished focus on "things" and look with simple, deep, mindful attention (not MxMindfulness but with the contemplative eye with which, Meister Eckart tells us, we see God) at what this world of experience is really about, and the problem of stuff (as well as the problem of neoliberal globalist exploitation) will go away.
271
You have the experience of working with the poor in a professional way, but that's no guarantee that you genuinely understand them. If you did you wouldn't necessarily suggest that poor people's stuff may be an emotional bulwark. You'd know that poor people often feel uncomfortable about throwing away anything that's "still good" because if you throw it away you just know that you'll need it in the near future.
Those of us who had parents who grew up during the Great Depression know all about the balls of rubber bands and the brand new Christmas presents "saved" in the closet for a rainy day. After the death of my grandmother, who emigrated to New York City in the late 1800s, my mother cleaned her closet out. We lived upstairs, sharing the 1200 square foot house in Brooklyn between two families. I remember my mother, who had to go to work instead of college when she graduated high school in the mid 1930s, sitting with three brand new nightgown in her hand sobbing because my grandmother had died in a tattered old flannel gown and had never used those "nice" things that she'd put away against a period of want.
The truth was that both of my parents did the same thing. They put things away against hard times because to throw something out that was still good - still usable was an act beyond their comprehension. They always bought the inexpensive item over the more costly one. The only exception was shoes - my mother always bought me good shoes because we walked everywhere.
Those of us who had parents who grew up during the Great Depression know all about the balls of rubber bands and the brand new Christmas presents "saved" in the closet for a rainy day. After the death of my grandmother, who emigrated to New York City in the late 1800s, my mother cleaned her closet out. We lived upstairs, sharing the 1200 square foot house in Brooklyn between two families. I remember my mother, who had to go to work instead of college when she graduated high school in the mid 1930s, sitting with three brand new nightgown in her hand sobbing because my grandmother had died in a tattered old flannel gown and had never used those "nice" things that she'd put away against a period of want.
The truth was that both of my parents did the same thing. They put things away against hard times because to throw something out that was still good - still usable was an act beyond their comprehension. They always bought the inexpensive item over the more costly one. The only exception was shoes - my mother always bought me good shoes because we walked everywhere.
17
It's kind of hard for poor people to have an existential analysis when they are trying to make ends meet and looking for small things to bring joy to their lives. You're going to spiritually shame them now, too?
11
Hi Claire and Todd - the reason I said I 'could" psychologize but I didn't, is that I don't think the essence of this problem is different for any human being - rich or poor, black or white, young or old, modern or ancient, for that matter.
To repeat what I wrote earlier:
In ancient India, a common "fable" was of the wandering renunciant who became as attached to his begging bowl as any king was to his kingdom.
I can see Ms. Land's point about well off people making a fetish of how wonderful it is they're downsizing, and I see the point that many commenters are making that there may be a lack of empathy on the part of the more well off regarding those with very few material possessions.
But that was not the point I was making - I'm sorry if you felt I was criticizing something important in your life.
Looking at the bigger picture, it looks to me like Stephanie Land - and all the commenters as well - is touching on something fundamentally flawed about the modern era. Whether it is "pro" decluttering, anti-decluttering, or anything in between, we all have a very distorted relationship with the things of this world.
I mentioned David Brooks because it seems to me - especially at what must be an extraordinarily painful time for him, given his integrity with regard to T****p - he has been feeling his way toward this insight recently. There is something fundamentally off about the way we see things.
www.remember-to-breathe.org
To repeat what I wrote earlier:
In ancient India, a common "fable" was of the wandering renunciant who became as attached to his begging bowl as any king was to his kingdom.
I can see Ms. Land's point about well off people making a fetish of how wonderful it is they're downsizing, and I see the point that many commenters are making that there may be a lack of empathy on the part of the more well off regarding those with very few material possessions.
But that was not the point I was making - I'm sorry if you felt I was criticizing something important in your life.
Looking at the bigger picture, it looks to me like Stephanie Land - and all the commenters as well - is touching on something fundamentally flawed about the modern era. Whether it is "pro" decluttering, anti-decluttering, or anything in between, we all have a very distorted relationship with the things of this world.
I mentioned David Brooks because it seems to me - especially at what must be an extraordinarily painful time for him, given his integrity with regard to T****p - he has been feeling his way toward this insight recently. There is something fundamentally off about the way we see things.
www.remember-to-breathe.org
3
I read Marie Kondo's book and enjoyed it and used her ideas. But focusing on material objects is a serious business. The essential question is: are objects more important to you or me than people? Which brings you more joy?
Do you like your answer?
Do you like your answer?
32
I get that decluttering is only an option for people who were able to afford to accumulate the stuff in the first place. But once the necessities of life are met -- shelter, clothing, food -- the rest is a choice. That's the lesson, for me. The lesson, for me, is clearing out the unwanted, unneeded, non-essentials, to make room for the things I really want. Time freed up from housecleaning allows me to pursue a hobby that had fallen by the wayside. Fewer possessions mean that I can live in a smaller, less expensive apartment. Weeding my book collection to the essentials (to me) means I get out and go to the library more often. Decluttering means living the life I have right now, not the life I used to have or the life I aspire to. Decluttering is an intensely personal activity and and can't and won't be the same for everyone.
131
I'm gonna go way out on a limb here and assume you don't share that domicile with an accumulator.
7
I find that it is not so. The allure of the free or cheap (garage sales, thrift stores, Freecycle, etc.) causes a lot of people to acquire clutter that they will eventually have to use their time to deal with. I agree that time not spent cleaning and dusting and rummaging through too many unused clothes and kitchen gadgets is more valuable then having all that in the first place.
4
This piece and its comments are interesting prisms that cast light upon anger, worth and status.
Anger is the emotion that arises when injustice is detected, e.g., when a boundary has been transgressed, when someone can't have something he or she wants or when someone detects that someone else is not taking their rightful place on the ladders of status.
In this culture, we all pretty much agree that humans are equal on the ladder of Worth. However, we also recognize that people have differing standings on the ladders of Status
Anger and Status combine in interesting ways:
Resentment is anger directed toward a person of higher status.
Plain anger is anger directed toward a person of equal status.
Contempt is anger directed toward a person of lower status.
The writer of the piece seems to be angry about many things but chiefly about loss, decreased opportunities for self and children and about mortality or the passage of time. This anger then appears to be directed or attached to anger about loss of social status of self and about contempt being directed toward people of lower economic status.
Anger is a useful emotion. Unfortunately it is easy to waste its rightful purpose and target. Like fire, the energy anger provides can be directed for good, for ill or to no purpose at all.
Anger is the emotion that arises when injustice is detected, e.g., when a boundary has been transgressed, when someone can't have something he or she wants or when someone detects that someone else is not taking their rightful place on the ladders of status.
In this culture, we all pretty much agree that humans are equal on the ladder of Worth. However, we also recognize that people have differing standings on the ladders of Status
Anger and Status combine in interesting ways:
Resentment is anger directed toward a person of higher status.
Plain anger is anger directed toward a person of equal status.
Contempt is anger directed toward a person of lower status.
The writer of the piece seems to be angry about many things but chiefly about loss, decreased opportunities for self and children and about mortality or the passage of time. This anger then appears to be directed or attached to anger about loss of social status of self and about contempt being directed toward people of lower economic status.
Anger is a useful emotion. Unfortunately it is easy to waste its rightful purpose and target. Like fire, the energy anger provides can be directed for good, for ill or to no purpose at all.
46
Great insights.
1
Even what we name the stuff has class implications. I've listened to relatively wealthy clients talk about the third house or new wing they had to build to hold the heirlooms or the collections. But really it was just stuff, being hoarded.
I feel for the author, recognizing aspects of my history in hers (I had an uncomfortable hand-me-down futon for ten years, lived two years with my child in a 300 sf cottage) and at probably double her age would like to reassure her. I'm grateful I struggled through the moves and the losses of stuff (including to Hurricane Sandy, which was the crowning decluttering). The clutter waxes and wanes. What matters will stay, mostly in memories which one hopes to keep forever.
There is real psychological security in surrounding yourself with what "belongs" to you when its potential loss to another move or renewed poverty constantly looms. Poor people's stuff is so relatively little compared to what the wealthy amass, and then they're castigated for clinging to it.
Genuine life-changing magic is having what you longed to keep taken from you due to poverty or disaster, then making peace with the loss.
I feel for the author, recognizing aspects of my history in hers (I had an uncomfortable hand-me-down futon for ten years, lived two years with my child in a 300 sf cottage) and at probably double her age would like to reassure her. I'm grateful I struggled through the moves and the losses of stuff (including to Hurricane Sandy, which was the crowning decluttering). The clutter waxes and wanes. What matters will stay, mostly in memories which one hopes to keep forever.
There is real psychological security in surrounding yourself with what "belongs" to you when its potential loss to another move or renewed poverty constantly looms. Poor people's stuff is so relatively little compared to what the wealthy amass, and then they're castigated for clinging to it.
Genuine life-changing magic is having what you longed to keep taken from you due to poverty or disaster, then making peace with the loss.
262
No! This is romanticisation of hardship ignoring the destruction and misery in a rosy glow attributing an empty superiority that sugar coats that destruction and misery that gives those who can and should help the excuse to do nothing.
Keep telling yourself this, but do so knowing that you are giving yourself a cheap self delusion as an alibi to enabling poverty and inequality.
Keep telling yourself this, but do so knowing that you are giving yourself a cheap self delusion as an alibi to enabling poverty and inequality.
5
Your last sentence spoke to me.
2
In a society in which our greatest public call to citizenship is to consume, where shopping has become a recreational activity, the logical outcome is the mass accumulation of all manner of stuff. It's interesting that same stratification of society that cajoles us to buy will also deride us for accumulating, rather like super-sizing massive portions of food while shaming us for putting on weight. This is especially true for poor people, who may only have the cast-off material goods that have seen many hands before them, yet are disparaged for hoarding.
53
Compare Ms. Land's insights to the current Times' Room for Debate on the same subject. I go with Ms. Land.
22
Yes clutter needs to be controlled. I try periodically to declutter. Why is it that about a month or two after I got rid of stuff that has been unused for years I find a need for some of it?
44
"For people who are not so well off, the idea of opting to have even less is not really an option."
This seems to be the primary misconception that causes people to attack the minimalist approach. Minimalism isn't about having less than you already have regardless of your circumstances. Rather, it's about thoughtfully reconsidering how you invest your limited time/money/energy/space and eliminating the commitments/financial obligations/relationships/possessions of which the 'costs' outweigh the benefits.
And this journey can look very different from one person to the next because there is no absolute right or wrong when it comes to minimalism. The point is to get crystal clear on what truly adds meaningful value to YOUR life in order to avoid wasting precious resources on things that don't. Achieving this level of self-understanding is a choice that EVERYONE has, even if some make fewer/different changes than others as a result.
This seems to be the primary misconception that causes people to attack the minimalist approach. Minimalism isn't about having less than you already have regardless of your circumstances. Rather, it's about thoughtfully reconsidering how you invest your limited time/money/energy/space and eliminating the commitments/financial obligations/relationships/possessions of which the 'costs' outweigh the benefits.
And this journey can look very different from one person to the next because there is no absolute right or wrong when it comes to minimalism. The point is to get crystal clear on what truly adds meaningful value to YOUR life in order to avoid wasting precious resources on things that don't. Achieving this level of self-understanding is a choice that EVERYONE has, even if some make fewer/different changes than others as a result.
63
Exactly! It's not about less but about the value and usefulness in what you have. The Arts and Crafts architectural style is an example - no form without function. A carved bracket that holds up a roof is "minimalist" because it has a purpose.
1
I see this person's point, but there are different reasons to decluttered.
I first truly decluttered my house in 2008. At that time, I had lost my well paying job and been in a car accident. De-cluttering helped me feel more in control of my life. It was a method to affect change in a chaotic world. I was broke and scared about losing my house and re-gaining my health and stability. I had the time to do this, I had an over abundance of time and very limited funds.
I am in a different place now, recently married and financially safe. My new husband and it are going through a stripping of extras and second items that supported two households. Now, I feel like this work is helping us gain control on our lives as well as give back / return our good fortune to others. We have gotten rid of a lot of it on Craigslist (for bargain prices) and it's nice to see the joy of others good fortune. It's is a much different feeling.
Things I have learned:
Decluttering by choice can make you more agile, better able to move (emotionally and physically) quickly. No matter how much I pare down, I still have more than most people in the world. It's hard because the stuff that connects you can also quickly bury you irregardless of your economic situation.
I first truly decluttered my house in 2008. At that time, I had lost my well paying job and been in a car accident. De-cluttering helped me feel more in control of my life. It was a method to affect change in a chaotic world. I was broke and scared about losing my house and re-gaining my health and stability. I had the time to do this, I had an over abundance of time and very limited funds.
I am in a different place now, recently married and financially safe. My new husband and it are going through a stripping of extras and second items that supported two households. Now, I feel like this work is helping us gain control on our lives as well as give back / return our good fortune to others. We have gotten rid of a lot of it on Craigslist (for bargain prices) and it's nice to see the joy of others good fortune. It's is a much different feeling.
Things I have learned:
Decluttering by choice can make you more agile, better able to move (emotionally and physically) quickly. No matter how much I pare down, I still have more than most people in the world. It's hard because the stuff that connects you can also quickly bury you irregardless of your economic situation.
49
Poor people should be big advocates of the decluttering movement. It is a boon for thrift stores and rich people tend have stuff they never use that other people really need just sitting in their homes.
Think of it as redistribution of wealth.
Think of it as redistribution of wealth.
35
One big difference between those with and those without is that those with generally have extra room. They can have a living room that looks pristine, and a spare bedroom or two piled with stuff--papers, clothes, christmas decorations, etc.
Those without usually have less room--no place to put anything. If you have extra, it's in piles someplace usually visible, like the living room.
Those without usually have less room--no place to put anything. If you have extra, it's in piles someplace usually visible, like the living room.
63
Up here in my area, the classic architectural structure is what we jokingly call a "Maine cape". It's a mobile home, and is usually on a bit of land which is littered with cars and other vehicular devices, old toys, old appliances, etc etc. It's a rural area as well.
Poor and rural people save EVERYTHING because it might be useful in the future, and because it could save money in the future.
While I don't resent the Kondo-ites and think everyone should do whatever works for them, there is something uncomfortable in the contrast.
Poor and rural people save EVERYTHING because it might be useful in the future, and because it could save money in the future.
While I don't resent the Kondo-ites and think everyone should do whatever works for them, there is something uncomfortable in the contrast.
164
We also forget that it takes money to get rid of stuff, too. Even municipal garbage collection does not include the old refrigerator that has stopped working or your broken car that might never run again. You have to have transportation to get it to the dump and you have to pay to dump it.
12
Ah, good old New England " too bad to keep, too good to throw away". We are raised to be a frugal lot, which is not the same as cheap. Use it up, repurpose it, wear it out, hand it down, and when all else fails, toss it. Had we all been taught this from the cradle, we might not be drowning in trash while the sea level rises.
The earth, itself, cannot afford us any longer.
The earth, itself, cannot afford us any longer.
8
I agree that letting go is easy if you can always get another. Understanding having so little that one cannot let go, may be as difficult to understand for those who have always been able to get whatever they need or want, as inhabiting another universe. Aside from "things" as remnants of one's past and future life, there is the fear that you may never be able to replace an item that may be "clutter" now but useful at a future date. Growing up with very little creates a special frame of mind that easily transitions from waste-not-want-not to lose-not-want-not. Things become as irreplaceable as time.
83
Our culture creates an environment where people are made to feel less for not having (fill in the blank). Buddhism encourages people to be happy with what they have (or what they have lost), but to work toward being a better person in a nonjudgmental, compassionate framework. In the West, Buddhist teachers have found that we have an additional layer of self-loathing not found anywhere else in the world. It's not surprising - open up any magazine, turn on any broadcast television show, open up any newspaper, and all one sees are advertisements showing you how much better you can be if you just had that (fill in the blank).
I hope the author learns how to be happy with what she has while striving to be a better person with compassion and without judgement, and that the things she feels like she is losing will always be a part of her. It will be a powerful lesson for her daughters.
I hope the author learns how to be happy with what she has while striving to be a better person with compassion and without judgement, and that the things she feels like she is losing will always be a part of her. It will be a powerful lesson for her daughters.
22
Lots of defensive comments around here. The author should be praised for her hard work--cleaning during the day, going to school at night. Isn't that what well-off people recommend to people in her position? Now she's getting more lectures in these comments from people who have no idea what it's like to work that hard.
9
"It [decluttering] may have started with Marie Kondo ..."
Not exactly. Don Aslett has been writing about decluttering since 1984.[1][2]
'To its advocates, decluttering, or “minimalism,” ...'
Neither Kondo nor Aslett use the word "minimalism".[3]
[1] "Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time To De-junk Your Life!" (1984, 2005)
[2] "Not for packrats only: how to clean up, clear out, and live clutter-free forever" (1991)
[3] Per online search of text and index of their books.
Not exactly. Don Aslett has been writing about decluttering since 1984.[1][2]
'To its advocates, decluttering, or “minimalism,” ...'
Neither Kondo nor Aslett use the word "minimalism".[3]
[1] "Clutter's Last Stand: It's Time To De-junk Your Life!" (1984, 2005)
[2] "Not for packrats only: how to clean up, clear out, and live clutter-free forever" (1991)
[3] Per online search of text and index of their books.
22
There is also "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston published in 1999, updated in 2016.
3
Ms. Land misses the entire point of Marie Kondo's book. It has nothing to do with "anti-consumerism" nor minimalism.
Ms. Land says "we’re led to understand, slaves to material goods". By whom, I would ask. She cites no specific person or group. She then argues that "To point to them as a reason to start an anti-consumerism movement is just another form of social shaming." Again who is ding the pointing?
I get the sense that is critiquing her own views rather than some "movement" taking place in society.
Ms. Land says "we’re led to understand, slaves to material goods". By whom, I would ask. She cites no specific person or group. She then argues that "To point to them as a reason to start an anti-consumerism movement is just another form of social shaming." Again who is ding the pointing?
I get the sense that is critiquing her own views rather than some "movement" taking place in society.
17
We are not yet at a point where is one is either poor or wealthy. I have several working and middle class relatives who have real problems with clutter, and who are frequently say that they wish their house was tidier and more organized, and yet cannot bring themselves to do it. They are not wealthy; they've never hired a cleaning person in their life. Their houses are not filled with expensive televisions and furniture, but stuff they bought at Sam's club, dollar stores and yard sales, received as gifts, or inherited from an elderly relative. One does not have to be wealthy to shop on impulse.
I was expecting a very different article; there is definitely a class issue here as well, but not the one this author is describing. Decluttering requires repeatedly putting aside the impulse to save something that might be useful someday, because you don't use it. This is much easier when you are reasonably confident that you will have the cash to replace it if circumstances change. Decluttering also requires repeatedly facing that foolish impulse purchase and the wasted money it represents; this is easier if you don't feel economically pinched in the first place.
I was expecting a very different article; there is definitely a class issue here as well, but not the one this author is describing. Decluttering requires repeatedly putting aside the impulse to save something that might be useful someday, because you don't use it. This is much easier when you are reasonably confident that you will have the cash to replace it if circumstances change. Decluttering also requires repeatedly facing that foolish impulse purchase and the wasted money it represents; this is easier if you don't feel economically pinched in the first place.
358
Hoarding and cluttering are often psychological problems related to obsessive-compulsive disorder and cut across class lines in our country's current stage of metastatic capitalism. I have seen homeless people with a small train of shopping carts filled with stuff. In fact, I saw a man on Market Street in SF riding a bicycle pulling ten shopping carts filled with his stuff. I didn't think much of this opinion piece which seems to have been written by a woman who is pissed off at the wealth gap between rich and poor in this country which is the widest ever recorded. She should probably write about that.
3
Then there are famous creatives who are so busy creating, they just keep adding onto their houses, instead of de-clutter --
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Warren
" .. She does not usually allow anyone into her Hollywood Hills office which she describes as a "cluttered, airless room...nothing has been moved or cleaned for 17 years because she is superstitious" and prefers to think of that room as her "secret world" .."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diane_Warren
" .. She does not usually allow anyone into her Hollywood Hills office which she describes as a "cluttered, airless room...nothing has been moved or cleaned for 17 years because she is superstitious" and prefers to think of that room as her "secret world" .."
1
I think the ultimate point of this article is that "clutter" is a relative term, it's nature varies depending on one's circumstances. I disagree that it has anything to do with class or money, I've encountered lots of folks that we'd call lower middle class with plenty of clutter. Decluttering, however, may be a class phenomenon since one has to have the education and wherewithal to read and understand Marie Kondo's ideas on this. I suspect the vast majority of those who regularly head out to Walmart for the latest sales will not be Kondo's target audience.
The decision for this author to have children radically changes her relationship to "stuff." The stuff she has generated around her children (just think of the mountains of diapers she has created!) is far, far greater than all the stuff I have accumulated in my (childless) life.
Everyone has blindspots when it comes to stuff, and I'm sure this author is not thinking of the stuff she has created in her decision to reproduce. But, ultimately, having children is the ultimate decision to accumulate clutter. I've been a Tibetan monk in comparison...
The decision for this author to have children radically changes her relationship to "stuff." The stuff she has generated around her children (just think of the mountains of diapers she has created!) is far, far greater than all the stuff I have accumulated in my (childless) life.
Everyone has blindspots when it comes to stuff, and I'm sure this author is not thinking of the stuff she has created in her decision to reproduce. But, ultimately, having children is the ultimate decision to accumulate clutter. I've been a Tibetan monk in comparison...
60
Nice, take a cheap - and broadly inaccurate - shot at "uneducated" poor people.
The class divide in this country just keeps getting worse largely thanks to this kind of ignorance.
The class divide in this country just keeps getting worse largely thanks to this kind of ignorance.
39
Exactly.
also other than two upholstered pieces, my house is furnished entirely in antiques & estate/garage/yard sale/thrift store finds, many refinished via my own elbow grease.
Between those venues, Freecycle and other cheap but creative means, no one need rush to Walnart sales for household goods. The whiney premise of this essay just does not make sense.
also other than two upholstered pieces, my house is furnished entirely in antiques & estate/garage/yard sale/thrift store finds, many refinished via my own elbow grease.
Between those venues, Freecycle and other cheap but creative means, no one need rush to Walnart sales for household goods. The whiney premise of this essay just does not make sense.
22
A Tibetan monk? Being a Tibetan monk isn't about being unattached to things, it's about opening your heart in compassion.
8
There are plenty of folks with too much stuff who are not well off.Hoarding is a real problem and just look at the size of the self storage industry. A little less consumerism, a little less credit debt and a simpler less cluttered home are good things. Selling or giving away excess items to someone who can make good use of them benefits both parties. For me its about trying to focus on just the few things that have real value to me and letting go of the rest.
118
Let's clean up and clarify language here. Clutter is basically disorganization along with too much unnecessary stuff, dust, dirt and garbage is just that and true hoarding is a mental disorder.
25
For many years I worked in a public interest law firm where attorneys were dedicated to serving the poor or near-poor. But even in that hotbox of social consciousness, some just didn't get it. One lawyer frequently remarked that she couldn't understand how her clients could waste money on cable TV--she certainly couldn't afford to do that! What she could and did afford was an annual trip home to Colorado, theater tickets, a summer cottage, and a very nice cashmere coat that I shamelessly lusted after. She didn't think she was being extravagant and yet, she couldn't grasp that her clients were entitled to some entertainment and all things considered, cable TV gave them a pretty big bang for their bucks, of which they had few.
478
Point of order: on many social service applications, those applying are asked if they have cable TV or keep a pet, and how they pay for it.
TV has been called a "vast wasteland." IMHO, get the pet and dump the cable TV. Radio is still free, and you can still do other things, at the same time.
TV has been called a "vast wasteland." IMHO, get the pet and dump the cable TV. Radio is still free, and you can still do other things, at the same time.
3
Powerful observations. They ring true with my experience. I live in a probably mid-size one bedroom apartment I can barely afford. I have often found myself inextricably drawn to sales on non-essential items I aspire to, e.g., a "real" camera, and find it difficult to let go of stuff I think I may need or want to have later, but fear I won't then be able to afford. Of course, obsolescence wreaks havoc with such proclivities, and my pack rat mentality has occasionally been interrupted by the necessity of moving and thereby downsizing. I am more than well aware that this is a first world problem and that I don't face hunger (though not long ago I of necessity came to the realization that I could get more calories for the buck at Burger King than at Stop & Shop).
So I guess, like many, I teeter on the edge of the middle class, ever aware that I'm just one sudden health crises away from financial devastation (I am grateful to be employed and have company subsidized coverage, but it is incomplete and I can't afford more on my own). For the most part though, I just try to keep gas and oil in the car that I can't afford to replace, and show up for my kids. I like to think of it as a psycho-spritual investment with immeasurable dividends.
So I guess, like many, I teeter on the edge of the middle class, ever aware that I'm just one sudden health crises away from financial devastation (I am grateful to be employed and have company subsidized coverage, but it is incomplete and I can't afford more on my own). For the most part though, I just try to keep gas and oil in the car that I can't afford to replace, and show up for my kids. I like to think of it as a psycho-spritual investment with immeasurable dividends.
85
Three words: Beans and rice. You can feed yourself for nearly half a week with a one-pound poly bag of beans and half a pound of rice, which cost what, three bucks tops?
I recommend lentils, for starters, since they don't require soaking. Here's a recipe to try:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02recipes-2.html
And, really, there's nothing "psycho-spiritual" about eating Whoppers.
I recommend lentils, for starters, since they don't require soaking. Here's a recipe to try:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/02/weekinreview/02recipes-2.html
And, really, there's nothing "psycho-spiritual" about eating Whoppers.
2
I'm writing from the highlands of northern Peru. To the advocates of the minimalist life, I say come here, let a family of villagers spend a month in your minimalist-perfect home while you see what it's really like to live with fewer possessions. As a bonus, for day you can change places with one of the street vendors who sits patiently by her cookies, candies and soft drinks waiting for customers. What better way could there be to improve your mindfulness practice?
128
This is an unfair argument. Minimal doesn't equal impoverished. Minimal is in the context of American life, and its meaning here is very different both from what you're saying and from its American opposite, wanton consumption.
3
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
If the answer to all the things that trouble us and our nation and culture is what to do with our stuff, we should be the happiest nation in history.
No wonder our country is experiencing such incredible strife.
When we learn to care for other people and value them more than our stuff, we will begin to understand real value and meaning. When we learn to care for everyone... this will be the best opportunity to heal our land.
Dear Lord, please forgive us of our materialism and idolatry.
If the answer to all the things that trouble us and our nation and culture is what to do with our stuff, we should be the happiest nation in history.
No wonder our country is experiencing such incredible strife.
When we learn to care for other people and value them more than our stuff, we will begin to understand real value and meaning. When we learn to care for everyone... this will be the best opportunity to heal our land.
Dear Lord, please forgive us of our materialism and idolatry.
39
I like that, even your little prayer. Some say the the need to cling holds us back, or the need to get rid of things.
4
Poignant, stingingly accurate analysis. Beautifully written too.
179
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
21
The Piece is too long with too few side doors. For instance, the poor who have to pay to store 'stuff', then later can't keep up the storage rent, are forced to give up the stuff itself. I know many of them.
15
An absolutely inane argument. clutter has nothing to do with class.
If there are too many objects in your space (of whatever value or size) there is clutter. If your mind is overly involved, it is cluttered no matter what your class.
If there are too many objects in your space (of whatever value or size) there is clutter. If your mind is overly involved, it is cluttered no matter what your class.
140
I think what she's pointing out is you're much more reluctant to get rid of things if you may need them later and don't have the resources to replace them. For example, you win a new coffee maker in a raffle at work. But you hesitate to toss your old one because what if this one breaks? What if your sister could use it? The clutter is still a headache, but it's a bit of a luxury to only have to keep around those things that you need right now.
23
Thank you. You get the "didn't get it" award! Yes, there is definitely a class issue here. Those who do not have "enough", which includes the likes of Romney and McCain (10 houses) and both our presidential candidates, keeping amassing goods and money. They hoard. There is simply no other word for it. Were they too poor to hire people to clean and care for their pile, they would need an "intervention" aimed at returning their accumulated mass of goods to a managable size. Since they have as much capital as they do, we overlook the hoarding. We pretend they actually do live - as opposed to visiting - their multiple homes and cars.
Take the value of that pile of goods down quite a bit, and the neighbors will express concern. The relatives will be both angry and ashamed of them. Because they cannot afford more storage (another house), they are considered to have a DSM V diagnosis.
The amount of pleasure either group gets from its pile of stuff is highly debatable, but society's view of who has a problem is not.
Take the value of that pile of goods down quite a bit, and the neighbors will express concern. The relatives will be both angry and ashamed of them. Because they cannot afford more storage (another house), they are considered to have a DSM V diagnosis.
The amount of pleasure either group gets from its pile of stuff is highly debatable, but society's view of who has a problem is not.
3
This article makes me think of those who have the least of all: homeless people. Clutter is a problem only for those who have a place to live.
24
Have you ever done an inventory of a homeless person's shopping cart?
17
Really? Have you ever looked closely at some of the shopping carts among the homeless?
It was a common observation among the wandering sadhus of ancient India, that one could get just as attached to one's teapot as a king to his kingdom.
It's not a matter of homelessness or McMansions, it's not about class, ethnicity, wealth, education. All of this is a way of avoiding the reality of what burdens each of us, every moment of our lives, until we let go (and a few months of Maria Kondo's tidying up is not the kind of letting go that would have cured that sadhu's attachment).
It was a common observation among the wandering sadhus of ancient India, that one could get just as attached to one's teapot as a king to his kingdom.
It's not a matter of homelessness or McMansions, it's not about class, ethnicity, wealth, education. All of this is a way of avoiding the reality of what burdens each of us, every moment of our lives, until we let go (and a few months of Maria Kondo's tidying up is not the kind of letting go that would have cured that sadhu's attachment).
2
Answering my own question: Here is an academic paper on the possessions of the homeless. In particular, see the section on "Types of Possessions". Note that the homeless acquire many of their possessions by scavenging.
The Homeless in America: An Examination of Possessions and Consumption Behaviors
by Ronald Paul Hill and Mark Stamey
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Dec., 1990), pp. 303
(Google for PDF.)
The Homeless in America: An Examination of Possessions and Consumption Behaviors
by Ronald Paul Hill and Mark Stamey
Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Dec., 1990), pp. 303
(Google for PDF.)
1
And btw, since when was a four year old futon a hardship? I had one for longer than that while saving up for nicer things. And the saving up is easier when one chooses not to be the single mother of multiple children. It seems to me the author made a choice between having offspring and having discretionary spending $$, at an early age, and now is trying to claim victim status. We need an eyeroll emoticon.
114
I agree. The author states, "That those major sales bring the unattainable items to a level of affordability is what drives all of those people to line up and storm through doors on Black Friday." That's the problem: wrong priorities (like having children before you can afford them).
For years I was a lowly graduate student living off a meager stipend from a grant. Most of it went for rent and food. I had a teeny tiny black-and-white portable TV. That was my entertainment center. My bed was a foam mattress from Sears. My desk was a hollow-core door on a pair of cheap filing cabinets. I was careful to differentiate want from need. And I never felt poor. I had grown up in Peru and seen abject poverty every day. I knew I was living very well indeed.
For years I was a lowly graduate student living off a meager stipend from a grant. Most of it went for rent and food. I had a teeny tiny black-and-white portable TV. That was my entertainment center. My bed was a foam mattress from Sears. My desk was a hollow-core door on a pair of cheap filing cabinets. I was careful to differentiate want from need. And I never felt poor. I had grown up in Peru and seen abject poverty every day. I knew I was living very well indeed.
17
Compassion is hardest to acheive for those who believe they have overcome a similar difficulty. How lucky you are to be alone in the world with no child to brighten your day with a big hug.
Yes, children are an economic drain. So is the expense of a smartphone connection, which means you pay for that phone many times over to the "phone" company. The difference is that the child gives back in love and connectedness while the smartphone just needs to be replaced constantly by the newest model.
Of course, some of us treat our relationships with other people the same way!
Yes, children are an economic drain. So is the expense of a smartphone connection, which means you pay for that phone many times over to the "phone" company. The difference is that the child gives back in love and connectedness while the smartphone just needs to be replaced constantly by the newest model.
Of course, some of us treat our relationships with other people the same way!
8
You have no right to judge her. You don't know the circumstances under which she had her child; you don't know how much "choice" was involved in the details of her life. She's not "claim[ing] victim status," but you're certainly claiming an undeserved superiority over her. (Here's your gold star for sleeping on a futon. Whoopie.)
It makes me absolutely crazy when people criticise those who struggle through life, for whatever reason--poverty, lack of opportunity, racism, sexism, illness, disaster, accident--as if the struggling people somehow deserve what's befallen them. As if we can control everything about the world around us, including the parents we're born to and the economic system we're born in. As if there's no such thing as luck.
It makes me absolutely crazy when people criticise those who struggle through life, for whatever reason--poverty, lack of opportunity, racism, sexism, illness, disaster, accident--as if the struggling people somehow deserve what's befallen them. As if we can control everything about the world around us, including the parents we're born to and the economic system we're born in. As if there's no such thing as luck.
23
I don't get it.
So because poor people don't have enough to warrant decluttering, then others who have clutter should not? Or because others from weak socio-economic strata buy "clutter" when they can to make a personal emotional statement, those who seek minimalism and see it as a virtue should refrain from making the choice to declutter.
Not every suggestion is ipso facto appropriate for all.
So because poor people don't have enough to warrant decluttering, then others who have clutter should not? Or because others from weak socio-economic strata buy "clutter" when they can to make a personal emotional statement, those who seek minimalism and see it as a virtue should refrain from making the choice to declutter.
Not every suggestion is ipso facto appropriate for all.
73
They should just do it. Not go on and on about it, and make it out to be some kind of spiritually cleansing exercise in moral superiority.
That's what to get. Glad I could hlep!
That's what to get. Glad I could hlep!
5
The problem is, material possessions and comfort and happiness are related things, but not the same thing.
Comfort's well and good, but if your material possessions don't promote your happiness (whatever that means for you), then it's just stuff.
No class consciousness really required, though it may be folks in lower classes don't have the mental breathing room required to really reflect on what their happiness would be. If that's the case (and what would happen if they had breathing room for a bit) - that would be an interesting article.