Or "get off this planet".. The so-called "Ten Commandments of Clutter": my thoughts. : comments.
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(no subject)
The biggest problem I have with the list is an omission: get shelves, bins, drawers, and other equipment and store your stuff in an organized, functional way. Most people can do a lot more of that than they have, and it's completely a useful alternative to letting things go. After all, we're doing a big book cull now, but we got by for almost 20 years with very minor culls but increased bookcases.
For people who have organized everything and still just have too much, though--too much to fit & can't or don't want to move somewhere bigger or rent storage--rules 6 and 7 do make sense to me. However, I also might have mentioned choosing what you want most, not only by item but by category, if room is short. Some people might want only a couple pans but a lot of books, some the reverse.
And rule 8 makes sense to me as long as you make sure the person or institution actually wants that stuff. Maybe the author felt it went without saying, but of course it doesn't.
(no subject)
I saw an episode of Hoarders today where one of the psychs said that hoarders often have problems with feeling that if they don't have their stuff, they need to make sure it goes to someone who will use it "right", and until they can do that, they just don't let go of it. This is very true to my experience with people with stuff problems. Their city doesn't recycle, so they end up with a room full of recyclables. They no longer sew, but they won't get rid of their fabric unless they're confident that it will be used in a way they will approve, so they just don't. Etc.
(no subject)
One reason I spoke up is this comment on my own LJ, which left me a bit sensitive. As I said in this comment, I do like the idea that someone else can get use out of the item. But we are both (1) putting a lot of effort into finding people or institutions who do want the stuff, and (2) definitely NOT using it as an excuse to keep stuff, but in boxes-to-be-gotten-rid-of. And we do recycle battered books no one would want.
The key to me seems to be whether getting rid of something "correctly" is a way of not getting rid of it at all. But even there, it's hard to tell where desire to actually hang on to the recycling ends and a battle between good intentions and limited energy begins. Even the second is a psych issue, but it's a totally different one, more the kind everyone has.
(no subject)
The odd thing is that when I said "people don't want your crap", I didn't mean thrift stores or charitable institutions, which demonstrably want your crap, or books. Because of everyone wants books! I have my own blind spots. :)
I feel like there's a huge difference between giving used books to people and giving almost anything else to them. But that's probably because I belong to the cult of the book, like every other sensible human. :)
(no subject)
Ranj's ex-wife "recycled". KC didn't have curbside, so what she actually did was fill parts of her house with recyclables until it was impossible to move, and then drive just enough to the recycling centre until she could get in the door again, and then stop.
(no subject)
Also, I would definitely exclude things that are new or like new: presents that were well intentioned but not really what you want, for instance. Or untouched skeins of yarn after I got carpal tunnel syndrome and had to give up knitting. Or things that really last without showing wear, like statues or good china, that you're just tired of.
I probably do err on the side of giving Goodwill stuff they'll just throw out, but I know they will also find a lot of it re-sellable. My own date with reality was when I realized that while I could sell some of that on eBay and make the money myself, I wasn't getting around to it, and I should let Goodwill or some other charity do the work & get the money.
But this is not, any of it, per se trash. The info about Ranj's ex-wife is scary.
My personal take on that is that while I prefer to recycle--to do anything to minimize stuff in landfills--I have to be realistic. For instance, when we cleared out Supergee's mother's house, we decided that we had too much to cope with anyway and we would just throw out all plastic, glass, and paper, even returnable bottles or cans.
And now Supergee takes deposit-type bottles and cans to the supermarket that accepts them, but then leaves the plastic sack right in front of the machines. Anyone who wants to can get the money for just the time to feed the items to the machine, and someone always does. And Supergee doesn't get all snarly about the task.
This conversation is making me realize how much I'm not a hoarder, even though some people, including the writer of the list, might think so from our house now.