Marie Kondo's Netflix special 'Tidying Up' has gone viral after seemingly changing people's lives, b

August 2024 ยท 4 minute read

Kondo's method sets itself apart from other cleaning styles in that it focuses on organizing by item type rather than the room. This method, Kondo told Business Insider, allows people "an opportunity to reflect on yourself."

While Kondo's Netflix series has inspired hundreds of thousands to clean up their clutter and remove all non-joy-sparking items from their lives, some have taken to criticizing her method.

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Others have pointed out that Kondo's method comes from a place of privilege. In The Atlantic piece "Marie Kondo and the Privilege of Clutter," author Arielle Bernstein wrote that, for many, the ability to even ask "does this spark joy?" isn't possible since everything they own is out of necessity , rather than want. "It's particularly ironic that the KonMari method has taken hold now, during a major refugee crisis, when the news constantly shows scenes of people fleeing their homes and everything they have," Bernstein wrote.

In addition to the question of privilege associated with Kondo's KonMari method, experts suggest tidying up isn't for every personality type.

While purging a space of superfluous objects may fulfill some people's needs, the action can have a negative effect on others, Dr. Daniel Levitin, a neuroscientist and author of "The Organized Mind," told INSIDER.

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"Some people take comfort in knowing 'I have a hammer I haven't used in five years and have a handyman, but if I ever do need that hammer, it's there,'" Levitin explained. Kondo's method focuses on the opposite personality, the person who is unburdened by the purging process, which Levitin said is problematic.

"I'm wary of a prescription for everyone because we are all different and need different things," he told INSIDER. "I want public figures to embrace diversity rather than saying we have to [organize] a certain way."

Flickr/josephleenovak

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Another problem with the KonMari method, Levitin said, is that "the program isn't distinguishing between tidiness and organization." In "The Organized Mind," he dives into this idea that a person can be organized without appearing so to others.

Take, for example, a professor whose office is piled high with stacks of papers. To someone else, it may appear the professor is unorganized because their space isn't tidy. That professor, however, could know exactly where everything is in their office, meaning they are indeed organized.

Unless your profession makes it mandatory to have a specific organization method that others understand, like a research scientist or police detective, Levitin said tidying isn't going to necessarily make your life better or easier.

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Instead, the best organizational method for each person depends on their inherent values, Marla Deibler, a clinical psychologist and executive director of The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia, told INSIDER. "When it comes to possessions, it is individualized what meaning people give to stuff," she explained.

Additionally, some people actually find joy in the clutter. Deibler explained that the Konmari method appeals to people who, "can feel overwhelmed and struggle by being around clutter."

The key to determining whether you should KonMari or not comes from realizing which of these two people you are. At the end of the day, however, Deibler says Kondo's method is a fad and warns people that decluttering has no research-backed benefit.

Still, if tossing objects and clearing space in your home makes you feel better, go for it.

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"If things like clutter get in the way of moving towards your values, like not inviting friends over for dinner because you're embarrassed of your space, [cleaning] is a way to move towards your values," Deibler said.

The core of Kondo's approach, reflecting on one's self, gets at just that, but maybe the way we all achieve that state of reflection isn't as concrete as a five-step method.

Visit INSIDER's homepage for more.

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