Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Is organizing the same as hoarding?

Recently, I have come across multiple people saying that organizing is just another term for hoarding.  After serious thought, I actually sympathize with this bold statement; we often needlessly and repeatedly organize things that are of no sincere value or use to us.  Simply put, we 'organize' in order to make our 'hoarding' less intrusive and obvious.  However, I believe there is thin line between hoarding and organizing, a significant difference between what each verb represents.  It comes down to motive, one that is either based in anxiety or purpose. 

Organizing is the act of creating systems to help us efficiently use that which we have, specifically our physical possessions and time.   Hoarding is a defeating habit of keeping items out of fear - fear of not having enough, the unknown, or even wasting money.  Here, the difference is easy to see.

We cross over the line when we find ourselves organizing things kept in fear.  We organize, accumulate, and organize again.  Our systems now operate to mitigate our fears instead of make us more productive.  Our stuff inhibits us more than it helps us.  Here, organizing slyly becomes hoarding -  color-coded and extensively labeled hoarding.  This type of organizing is a dangerous place to be.  It keeps us bound to our stuff, when our stuff should be serving us.

So, what do you think?  Is organizing the same as hoarding?

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