Packrats, Hoarders, and Tossers, Why The Difference?

I'm a son of packrats.  I admit it, and they don't.  (See note at the bottom about the picture to the left.)  Sometimes I wonder why I've taken on some of the same tendencies, although I am getting better at fighting these habits.  Paper stuff is the worst for me but thanks to e-mails, I have managed to minimize my stacks.  I collect things like 1:18 scale car models, CD's, and car brochures.  Some people find these collections to be ridiculous, especially when they're helping me move.  Of course, I find these collections to be a part of who I am, an expression of my interests and a source of pleasure.

But where does one draw the line?  Of course the people you see featured on talkshows who collect things to the point that they don't have room to take a shower are going a bit overboard.  But there has to be some guiding principle as to when collecting becomes too much.  I haven't Googled it or checked Wikipedia so I don't know the real answer.  I'd rather provide my own.

I think that collecting stuff is excessive when it gets in the way of normal life.  If you can't find things you need because things you collect get in the way, then you have too much.  If you don't remember most of the things you have, then you have too much.  If your rooms are impassible and don't serve any function other than for storage, then you have too much stuff.  Creating more space for stuff, (beyond a reasonable level), is also a sign that you hoard.  Adding lots of shelves or containers or buying a new house for more stuff are bad signs.  Perhaps hardware stores and places like Organized Living are "enablers" to such behavior.  So then we must ask, why do some of us hold on to too much?

I say it has to do with your childhood and how much you had in the household.  If you grew up relatively poor, then any stuff is more valuable at a subconscious level and it's only natural to hold on to things.  At the other extreme are people who toss everything out.  These are probably people who grew up with too much.  They had parents who coincidentally never yelled at them to turn off the light when they left the room.  (By the way, by my estimates, these people are responsible for 0.25% of the global warming)

So I wonder what you the reader feel is the line between collecting and hoarding.  I also would like to hear what you have to say about what causes people to "over-collect."

As I looked for a suitable image for the post, I found the picture shown above and this nice  link courtesy of Fairfax county Virginia...

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/hoarding/typ_character.htm

I guess they have lots of hoarders per capita(?)

+ Atul

Comments

[chancelucky]

I think the line is when it becomes disabling. I have, for whatever reason, several friends who tend to accumulate things. One is so bad that he doesn't dare let anyone he doesn't know really well into his condo. Actually almost none of these folk ever have people over, partly because there's no place to sit. I sometimes wonder if it's functional for them in that it gives them a reason to avoid having to have parties, dinners, play friends for the kids, etc.

[Dave P]

I agree with the upbringing/childhood POV. I'd also like to add that I think pack rats hold onto things that have sentimental value. When you get married and you have to combine your stuff and her stuff is when you'll have to part with many of the things you've been holding onto for too long. If you manage to pass that test, your family will have to clean up the mess when you die but probably learn a lot about you in the process.

[Atul]

Chancelucky,

I suppose that it could be a protection mechanism to "not let anybody in" literally. When I get messy, (not to that level though), I think it's a matter of me making my house seem more busy to make up for the fact that I live alone. Perhaps it reminds me of home.

Dave,

I totally forgot to mention the sentimental angle. That is definitely a factor. I keep things that are nice and have sentimental value or things that don't take up much space. With emails and computer files, they only take up memory and are easily found. That reminds me of the over-abundance of digital pictures. That will be a topic for another post.

I hate to think of it, but I dread the day when I would have to help clean out my parents' house. We do it occasionally anyway, (sometimes without their complete knowledge).

[Adrienne]

Thanks for the great post.
I grew up with some poverty and lots of chaos. reading helped me cope with my dysfunctional environment growing up, and now I collect books and information. I am an information addict-- surfing the net for my next fix. I do think however that this habit and tendency can be overcome, I am doing it myself, one day at a time.