Marie Kondo

For better or worse, I'm reading Marie Kondo's "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing"

(I read like people comfort-eat, someone left it laying around and I had to have it's sweet sweet delicious words inside me)

I'm not finished yet, but so far I can't say I'm in love? (Self help always rubs me the wrong way though)

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone here was a fan (or was familiar with it and not a fan)

I'm sure I'll be able to spew my usual toxic diatribe out in a post or two once I get to the end

Yes I'm a big fan too. I recently donated about 75% of my wardrobe, sold a ton of books/DVD's, got rid of useless keepsakes I held on to, and feel so much more free. Plus the house looks a lot cleaner. I also ditched my closet and now everything is folded into 2 shelves of a mini-dresser!

Not sure about the throwing away part, but I agree with the principle insofar as for ones actual living space to be uncluttered and to have a more residual power in its presence. Its just I'd wonder if that attribute of most pleasure in each category might not change over time, and so losing the opportunity to reintroduce something from ones past to bring new relevance could be lost if it had been discarded. I wouldn't want to necessarily be attached to things which had once been most important for the sake of avoiding buying into something new or going without.

Though that approach could have ritual import as tools to achieve some effect, but generally speaking I like to shove all my old stuff (which isn't junk) into spare rooms or some other storage space, so that it is not in my 'living space'. So I agree in some parts on the principle, and really do encourage people to have clean spaces, and to order things in neat ways. As on the more mundane side it is also harder to lose things, easier to look after things so they last longer, and use things more efficiently and correctly. Plus a good clean up and moving of furniture around into different configurations is a cheaper way to get some of the impact that going on a costly escapist holiday provides!!

Adder Wrote: Not sure about the throwing away part

Forgive me Master I hold you in high esteem but, don't we teach to limit our attachments? Now, I know we're not fictional jedi but, I too have been exploring this as well. I haven't read this book but, I am willing to read it now to see what treasures it holds. But, back to my original statement. The Jedi of the fictional starwars we're forbidden to have attachments or very few possessions on them because they believed it was a hindered them as they may have to leave to solve a dispute in a quickly manner. Now, again I know that we're REAL jedi and we live in a I guess you could say "real world" and that doesn't really involve us so much. I used to be a person who loved "stuff" I had toys, starwars this and that and honestly I did get rid of someone of it because it begun to just be clutter and my wife wasn't too happy having it around. Of course, I went through it all about two years ago and got rid of alot of it or put it in storage and I will second on this I have become much happier. It can be a little bewildering espically when moving I and my wife moved about a year ago and man...what a load of junk! we had nicknacks that just...well, it was just a bit much and frustrating. Of course, I offered first to rid myself of alot of my "junk" first and my wife got rid of alot of her clothes and nicknacks. We donated to goodwill and stuff and actually felt better about it. However, I know it was a struggle for both my wife and I to get rid of some of it because they all held some meaning to us and every excuse in the book to NOT to get rid of it. But, we finally came together and realized it was just gonna sit in a closet or, storage and just take up space. I think there is a lesson in this but, I certainly don't look down on people who just like their stuff...well, that is unless it becomes a health concern but, that is another story.

Plus a good clean up and moving of furniture around into different configurations is a cheaper way to get some of the impact that going on a costly escapist holiday provides!!

Not to mention it turns getting to the kitchen for a midnight glass of water into an adventure!

I didn't get along well with what (as read) appeared to be extreme views on having "stuff" - but I'll rationalise the hell out of my own home by saying- Most if not everything I own (a few fancy lacy numbers not withstanding) has a utilitarian purpose that far outweighs any emotional value I put on it.

Call it "hording" if you will - but I'm certain that having a wide selection of tools, spares, and raw materials stored up has saved me both time and money over all.

Of course, I don't live in a unit and I suppose I have the luxury of having a lot of stuff without it getting "cluttered" so I may not suffer the same daily spiritual damage from seeing "crap everywhere"

I alluded to it in an older thread about wealth - I've been down to near nothing twice - They were certainly interesting experiences and changed how I see some things. I see no particular reason to voluntarily put myself through that sort of "cleansing" again.

(I also mentioned in a Library thread that with the exception of useful reference books, I don't hold with keeping books that are not likely to be read again - so perhaps my "natural state" is close enough to Kondo's philosophy that I don't see anything groundbreaking or terribly worth pursuing in it for myself)

James Wrote:

Of course, I don't live in a unit and I suppose I have the luxury of having a lot of stuff without it getting "cluttered" so I may not suffer the same daily spiritual damage from seeing "crap everywhere"

Exactly I see you point if you have a house or a much larger space but, I doubt you have a wife that has C.P. either and requires extra space to move her power chair around either. But, James I don't know you well enough and it's not fair for me to judge you either. My blessings my friend.

Sven One wrote: ...but, don't we teach to limit our attachments? Now, I know we're not fictional jedi but, I too have been exploring this as well.....

I guess it might be a function of available storage. As at some point something becomes 'junk' - but until then it might have a measure of utility in the present or in the future. Indeed my concern was that putting to much attention on a few objects might seem to reinforce attachment inappropriately perhaps about the past. Interesting to consider. But I don't avoid that either entirely, so... I'm just being conversational