Clutter Management-What Causes Clutter
(back to page 1)

What Causes Clutter?

Most people assume clutter is just a behavioral problem.  Clutterers keeps things around that they should just throw out.  They start one project without tidying up after the previous project.  They procrastinate about putting things away.  But, as much as there are behaviors which lead

"Writing a good poem may be as difficult as writing a good novel.  It may even be harder.  But, any clown with a sharp pencil can write out a dozen lines of verse and call them a poem.  Not just any clown can fill 200 pages with prose and call it a novel.  Only the more determined clowns can get the job done."  Lawrence Block, Writing the Novel

to clutter, one has to admire the persistency with which a clutterer can generate clutter.  We see planning and assumptions in a person's thinking as key culprits in the clutter story.

Some examples:

• A non-clutterer won't allow their cabinets, drawers, and closets to fill up.  They make sure there's space for new things, and, if there isn't, they get rid of something else.
• A clutterer, in contrast, will have no problem stocking their home to the point where they have effectively used up 110% of the available storage space.  He or she will buy goods in excessively large quantities to save money.  They'll buy things without considering where the new items will be stored or what old items should be thrown out.   And, they buy too many "special somethings"--that is, things which they'll use only once a month or once a year at best--rather than emphasizing a smaller number of multi-purpose clothing, appliances, etc.

So, clutter is certainly a behavioral issue, but, it is important to recognize that in a fundamental way people plan their way into a cluttered life.