That's right; you can be proud to be messy! If all your life you have been told to clean up your act and tidy up after yourself, but you never really understood what all the hype was about, then this article is for you.
We have been led to believe that to be successful we have to be organised, neat and tidy. But the truth is some of the most brilliant people in history have had famously messy workspaces. Brilliant minds such as Albert Einstein, Mark Twain and Roald Dahl as well as more modern innovators like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg (CEO of Facebook) all developed their works of genius at notoriously messy desks.
Albert Einstein once said, "If a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, what, then, is an empty desk a sign of?"
But that's not all. Messy people are more likable in general, and here's why:
1. Cluttered people are more creative. It has long been believed that cluttered people are more creative but there is now scientific evidence to support this. The University of Minnesota recently conducted an experiment to prove once and for all what the different personality traits are of messy vs. neat people. The findings are interesting. People who were surrounded by clutter were more likely to come up with imaginative ideas and innovative ideas.
2. Messy People have a greater chance of "stumbling" across inspiration. Being surrounded by things that don't usually go together literally makes people more likely to come up with ideas that don't usually fit together. They "think outside the box" and have unconventional solutions to problems. Scientist Kathleen Vohs of Minnesota University found that the test group who worked in the messy room were far more likely to try new things. Ever hear some messy person say that they found something while they were looking for something else? Without the search for the first item they would never have stumbled upon the second item, which is often a creative means to an end, the answer to problem they were pondering on the back-burner of their busy minds.
3. Untidy people are less judgemental. Messy people are less worried about social conformities and are less likely to judge others by standards that society sets for them. They don't care if they come over to your house and there are dishes piled in the sink and laundry piled on the floor. They understand that you are busy living. They have come to see you, not judge your house.
4. Messy people live fuller lives and are more fun to be around. Often the reason why these people's spaces become so untidy is because they are too busy focusing on living a full and interesting life to find the time to tidy up. They are impulsive, adventurous and don't let menial tasks like cleaning up get in the way of great adventures. They are liberated from the need to have every last detail perfect before they do something, and so tend to be more open to impulsive and unplanned adventures.
5. Clutter and mess is not always chaos. Another manifestation of the unique problem solving skills of messy people is that they come up with systems and processes that work for their unique way of doing things. You might walk into a messy office and think "Wow, this guy is so disorganised" But the chances are he knows exactly which stack of paper on the floor has the napkin in it with his latest idea jotted on it; the empty cans piled up behind the PC are actually for a recycling project he is planning and the cordless kettle on the floor under his desk is there so he can make coffee without getting up and leaving his brainchild for even moment. The messy you see is in fact an intricate system of important stuff. Which is why surprising this guy with a big clean-up when he is out is about the nastiest thing you can do to him. He won't know where to find anything! As long as he contains it to his own space you should rather just let genius burn the way it does. If it really becomes a health you should at least involve Mr. Messy in the clean-up process so that you don't accidentally throw away something important, like the chip packet with the misprinted logo that inspired a whole new idea.
6. Clutter Bugs focus better in a crisis. People who are accustomed to focusing on the job at hand amid a mountain of mess are more likely to be able to focus and prioritize in unusual circumstances. Whether it is an intense shopping trip for the best air purifier for a new home or an actual emergency in the middle of a shopping mall, it will more likely than not be the creative, messy person who is able to find a solution and make a quick decision under these circumstances. Why? Because they are used to zoning out unimportant things and focusing on what counts. That and they are, of course, used to thinking outside of the box.
7. People who are comfortable in a mess are more relaxed parents. This is a point of contention for a lot of people. We are not saying children should be brought up in a pig sty. A certain level of hygiene, routine and organisation is essential for raising healthy, happy, productive kids. But let's face it: Every parent knows that if you have kids there is a mess somewhere in your house. Someone once said cleaning with kids in the house is like trying to brush your teeth with Oreos. Kids are messy. End of story. Parents who try to keep a perfectly spotless house are going to cause themselves endless stress. Even if you have a full time cleaner there will be juice cups, toys and school books scattered across the living room or bounce house within about 35 seconds of her leaving the house. People who are comfortable doing a daily dish-wash, bed-make and sweep and then letting the rest go are generally much happier and have a lot more time to actually spend with their children.
8. Messy People Multitask better. Probably because they are better wired to juggle more than one idea at a time. Whereas your neat-and-tidy counterparts need complete organisation and clear surfaces to allow them to focus on one thing at a time, you untidy people find it easier to switch quickly from one task to the next and back again.
9. Messy People are probably better lovers. Now although no official research has been conducted to prove this point (yet) there is reason to believe that someone who is more adventurous, creative, unconventional and focused in a mess, is more likely than not going to be more fun to play with in the bedroom too.
10. Messy people are easier to make friends with. Because messy people are more approachable. We automatically feel less threatened by someone who has a messy desk. Whereas super neat and tidy people can seem threatening, and make us feel that we have to be at least as organised as they are before we can even talk to them, messy people makes us feel at home in their mess. Also there is so much other material to focus on that you can be yourself without feeling like you are on the neat-freak's slab. Of course we already know that they are less judgemental and open to different ideas, so they are more likely to invite you in to their personal lives than their uber-categorised neat counterparts.
11. Cluttered people are more comfortable in their own skins. They have to be to survive in a physical manifestation of their personalities. People who work comfortably surrounded by their ideas and projects in a physical form tend to be surer of exactly who they are and they accept themselves more easily. People who are at peace with themselves are generally easier to get along with than those who harbour self-esteem issues. They have let it go, they have nothing to prove to you and they are happy.
12. Nature is messy. This may sound like an excuse to leave your things lying around, but it's true. Have you ever seen a picture of a forest floor that is orderly and tidy? No. Nature is messy. Natural selection and the concept of "survival of the fittest" are based on a universe that is random, messy and unpredictable. Messy people tend to be more adaptable and we all know that adaptability is key to survival.
13. Hoarders tend to form strong emotional attachments. That is not to say neat and tidy people don't form attachments too, but a lot of the time the reason why the messy person has so much cluttering up their space is because they hang onto things that have emotional value to them. You may see a wall with messy postcards and movie stubs stuck to it, a wrist band from the party they went to lying in a drawer with a candy bar wrapper under a memo about last week's meeting, and think "what a mess". But to the messy hoarder those post cards are a reminder of a friend who lives far away. The movie stub is from his first date with the girl he loves and the wrapper is from the candy bar they shared at the movie. Of course a certain level of cleanliness is important to avoid becoming a health risk.
14. Messy People can knuckle down and work. One of the advantages of not wasting too much time organising their space into well categorised sections, is that messy people can usually put their heads down and work, undistracted, on important projects. Weather this makes them better at meeting deadlines than their organised brethren or that they just have a different way of achieving things, the point is still, they meet their deadlines.
15. Hoarders are more likely to be prepared for unexpected circumstances. Another reason that cluttered people are great to have around is that they have all kinds of things stashed away in their mess. Whether it's a Band-Aid you need, a tape measure or a hat to wear to Great Gatsby themed party, the hoarder probably has one lying around somewhere, and if you are willing to wait a few minutes while she digs around for it, she will lend it to you and feel quite pleased with herself that she was able to help.
So what does this mean? Should we all try to be messier? Is it okay to live in squalor? The answer is "No" and "Yes".
No you shouldn't try to change your natural preferences. If you need an organised space to work in then that is what you should have. No, it's not okay to live in such disarray that your space becomes a bio-hazard and you end up losing important things. A certain amount of hygiene and cleanliness is still essential. Aim to clear out dirty dishes at least once a day and toss things in the general direction they belong in at least once a week. Cardboard boxes work really well. You need to have your own system for taking care of your things, even if it doesn't look like anyone else's system.
And Yes, it is okay to have piles of paper and newspaper cut outs all over the place. Yes you should try to be more understanding of the messy guy in your office (or home). He is special. He has his own way of doing things and you are lucky to have him (or her) in your life. If you are the messy one, try to understand that as much as it may seem like a waste of time to you, your tidy freak can't think straight in your mess.
The best idea is to compromise. If a neat and a messy are cohabiting you need to decide on a "neat" zone where the tidy person can relax and a "messy" zone where the untidy person can be their brilliant selves.
By http://www.airpurifier-review.com/
