Let’s face it, Americans have too much stuff. We use 25% of the world’s resources. We want bigger houses and cars and more stuff, and as George Carlin says, then we have to have somewhere to put it.
Health Effects of Clutter – Tara Parker-Pope – Medicine and Health – New York Times
Compulsive hoarding is defined, in part, by clutter that so overtakes living, dining and sleeping spaces that it harms the person’s quality of life. A compulsive hoarder finds it impossible, even painful, to part with possessions. It’s not clear how many people suffer from compulsive hoarding, but estimates start at about 1.5 million Americans.
It also disturbs me that this article doesn’t talk about the other end of the spectrum as a disorder, those who are obsessive about cleaning and order. This is as much of a disorder as the clutter addicted, and just as painful a way to live. It might seem that cleanliness is a virtue, but too much of it is also a sickness.
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