I have had some feedback and comments after my article I am a hoarder, which raised discussions, and provoked my thinking into what defines being a hoarder.
One definition defines hoarding as the collection or acquisition of items in large numbers of “seemingly” useless possessions, and that collector fails to make use of them or discard them, that it causes clutter, which then stops other basic activities of living such as sleeping, washing, cleaning or getting access to the “storage” area.
There are a number of words I would like to look at in the sentence above.
Collection or acquisition. Many people I know have hobbies, they collect things, from books, stamps, coins, cut glass vases, cutlery, plants, aircraft identification, train numbers, etc etc. The last two are very British, and I know, those of you reading this in countries other than Great Britain (see English or British – Confused? I’ll explain.) will have no concept of this hobby. The question is, when does it cease being a hobby and become an obsession?
Seemingly. In whose eyes are the collections or acquisitions of no importance or useless, only to those who give the label to someone else of a hoarder. To the “hoarder” the items are very important and are or could be useful.
Could be. Surely, someone who thinks “could be”, is a forward thinking person, one of vision, a planner, be ready for any eventuality.
Useless. When does an item become “useless”. Only when someone cannot see a use for the item. What use is a used stamp to anyone, you cannot send a letter with it. What use is a souvenir of a holiday, a football program, the souvenir program of a play or concert? But a screw, a nut and bolt, an elastic band, a headache tablet, they can be useful.
Fails to make use. How can you make use of an old coin, that has long gone out of circulation, or a football program that was for a match years ago, or a badge from a meeting that was hung around the neck?
Clutter. Another word for being untidy, being in a mess. I look at some of the fashions of today, yes I know I was the same and still the same, where people wear a collection of clutter, they are a mess, yet in their eyes, they are not. I have seen the rooms of great thinkers, visionaries, professors, where there is no spare space in their rooms.
Basic activities. What is basic to one person, will not be to another. This I think can be defined to what is important to a person. One person will only wear a jumper, shirt or blouse once, and then have to have the item washed, others will wear the item many times. Some people will shower in the morning, some only at night, and some only once a week. What is basic?
Sleeping, washing, cleaning or getting access. Sleeping, well I know people who sleep in very strange places. Washing is what we are used to. I know of people who after a nights sleep, get up and get dressed and go straight to work without a shower. To me that is wrong, after sweating all night in bed, but then they must have a shower before going to bed to rid themselves of all the dirt and sweat acquired during the day. Cleaning, I have a friend who cleans the house from top to bottom every day, others, once a year. Getting access to is easy, just move one or two things.
Yesterday I went to the Hampton Court Flower Show, (video may follow) and saw people collecting/buying vast quantities of plants, garden accessories, all being pulled around in coloured plastic boxes on wheels, often empty, known as trolleys. Totally useless items, which will end-up at the back of the garage, shed, greenhouse or corner of the garden.
At Hampton Court Flower Show, coloured plastic boxes on wheels, often empty, known as trolleys..
I looked at some of the show gardens, and they are a collection of seemingly useless items, plants. They do nothing, just grow, and at one time they were weeds in some far off country, and are still classed as weeds there. And people stood for a long time admiring this garden full of “seemingly” useless possessions.
Seemingly useless items and plants at Hampton Court Flower Show.
A mass of vegetables. Useless to me, I hate vegetables.
Around the grounds of Hampton Court were signs, “KEEP OFF THE GRASS“. In the show itself were signs, “DO NOT TOUCH“. So I could not gain access. The thing is I could if I had wanted to, and so it is with a hoarder, they can if they want too. I know where everything is, I can have access to the item if so required.
When does a collector become a hoarder? When another puts that label on them, when it does not fit their word, their understanding, likes and dislikes.
Compulsive hoarding or it could be classed as pathological hoarding, can be a sign of the condition known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD), and can be treated in many ways, including as I have done with NLP.
An extreme form of hoarding, is the collecting of rubbish, waste, for example old newspapers, empty tins, empty water or Coke bottles, and is known as syllogomania or disposophobia.
But, I have repaired my old cars with used tins which used to contain Corned Beef, stored oil in a soft drinks bottle.
So, when does a “seemingly” useless item become an artifact and become a museum piece, surely the museums of every country hoard items? When are my old computers, my old Palm Pilot PDA‘s and prior to them the Apple Newton or the Psion handheld become museum pieces, collectables and not junk? When will my disc’s containing hours of work creating programs for the many customers I had become unwanted?
It is all in the eye of the beholder.
Oh Poo Poo. My brain hurts.