The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up:...by Marie Kondo

[Steve]

At any rate, I don't mean to debate this issue with you! I recently read James E. Faust's October 1987 talk when he says:

Let us not become so intense in our zeal to do good by winning arguments or by our pure intention in disputing doctrine that we go beyond good sense and manners, thereby promoting contention, or say and do imprudent things, invoke cynicism, or ridicule with flippancy. In this manner, our good motives become so misdirected that we lose friends and, even more serious, we come under the influence of the devil. I recently heard in a special place, “Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct.”

I will try to take that to heart.

[Edward]

I concur and I don't think it's an issue of disagreement or debate since I know you and in no way question your actions. Maybe I just feel like you should give a little more credit to some family members now and then. I think we all know those things, so you don't need to quote the Bretheren just to lend weight to a suggestion; Steve telling us we should be kinder has just as much importance as a church leader saying it because Steve is family and families listen to each other.

Unless somebody here really does, in fact, hate kindness, in the which case we must have a moving Christmas Special where, for the first time, we teach you that what you are feeling is called love and there willl be robot dogs and beast monsters and we'll sing jingle bells wrong and OH WHAT FUN IT SHALL BE! I did not steal this plot from The He-Man and She-Ra Christmas Special

SO anyway, that Kondo. Had better live in a condo. Then she could come home and say Hello Condo! And Condo would radiate Hello Kondo! and they would be so cute. But Condo would have no soul, for he is all but empty, and his inner void is rigidly maintained by Kondo whose cheerful guise masks her perpetual desire to remain distant, suffocating Condo so that he is little more than an empty shell wherein Kondo can divest herself of her keys as Condo is divested of his spirit. Oh, poor, empty Condo!

[Tuly]

Are you taking the remarks we are making of Kondo personally, Steve? - If so, my comments of Kondo are based on observations of her book, and to what I feel might lead to a culture that I don't fully agree with. I'm still not sure who is representing Marie Kondo on our website. If Kondo's philosophy is dear to your heart, I say embrace it. Also if you feel you are repeating yourself a lot, it can be that I don't fully understand what your saying and hence repetition is necessary.

[Ian]

we're doing kondo a favor just by talking about this. she's got a book to sell, after all.

[Steve]

I was just reminded of the Thomas Kinkade thread or similar conversations where maybe we make light of the efforts of individuals who try to contribute to the world something they feel is of value. As I've said a number of times, I don't agree with many of Marie Kondo's methods and we likely have very different perspectives on life and what's most important. It doesn't sound like she's been exposed to the fulness of the gospel and knows everything we know. However, cleanliness, tidiness, order, intentional living spaces, a reduced focus on possessions, and the rejection of excess and materialism are things I do agree with and are principles supported by both ancient and modern revelation. It sounds like she has helped a lot of people free themselves of tremendous accumulated burdens over the course of their lives. That is a good thing. I'm much more encouraged by those who earn their livings trying to help others than by those who simply live for themselves. I give her the benefit of the doubt that she's doing these things to help people and not simply to make another dollar from book sales.

So I'm not taking any of this personally, but I do feel the urge to discourage us from sinking to any level that would make judgments about her motives, or make fun of her routines. I think we can discuss the ideas and philosophies, or make observations about the book, without resorting to excessive extrapolation. And this is not Kondo-specific—I'd like to think I would try to speak generously of others who come up in any of our discussions. I don't know if I've always done this well, but as I mentioned earlier in this thread, the man or woman of God embraces all good things, however near to or far from the ideal they may be.

@Mom - Is there something particular that I've said that you do not understand? I'm happy to elaborate or clarify!

[Ian]

marie kondo is selling a book about talking to inanimate objects and stroking plant leaves. this discussion is about her book. how can we talk about her book and ignore the inanimate objects and plant leaves? that sounds to me like the most interesting thing about the book.

[Tuly]

I have looked at this thread as a book club experience of Kondo's book. In most book clubs that I have been in, we all take turns expressing our (hopefully) honest views of the book and also opinions of the author. We might even question the author's state of mind when writing the book. In all book club scenarios I have been, we all listen to each other and agree or disagree on the comments. Then afterwards we usually have dessert and look forwards to the next book club and move on. I guess there are times I have hoped all book club members would love my book selection but I have learned that is not realistic since there are books suggested for me to read that I don't enjoy or I will actually get a synopsis of the book to see if the book is appropriate and choose not read the book, but that is another subject.

[Marie Kondo]

I was obsessed with what I could throw away. One day, I had a kind of nervous breakdown and fainted. I was unconscious for two hours. When I came to, I heard a mysterious voice, like some god of tidying telling me to look at my things more closely. And I realized my mistake: I was only looking for things to throw out. What I should be doing is finding the things I want to keep. Identifying the things that make you happy: that is the work of tidying.

[James]

in response to the claims that ugly is the new beautiful is this clip from a documentary on the good and bad of helvetica, the new swiss of modernism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDLPAE9wLEU

[James]

Frank Harmon taught half of my summer drawing class. Among several other sites we visited his home and his office (shared with the AIA building he designed in Raleigh) to study them and practice sketching. This video includes mention of ugliness in regards to the AIA building.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsutCoK_pk

[Tuly]

Thank you James - those videos especially Frank Harmon's is very thought provoking, I like his thought that buildings are "portraits". Do you like his style James? What I love about learning is that you still can maintain opinions about what you like or don't like.

[James]

Yes I like Frank's style. We spend 4 hours at each location so I know the AIA building very well, as with his house etc. To me Frank's style is visually pleasing and very thoughtful. Why is the building facing south, the roof pitched to that degree? Why place a balcony at that spot? There are important reasons behind every feature. He was trained in London, and given his age is certainly influenced by modernism and postmodernism. While I disagree with the who said the AIA was the ugliest building in Raleigh I really enjoyed Frank's response.

[James]

http://nyti.ms/2a9BWcq

[Steve]

While Stephanie Land claims "major sales bring the unattainable items to a level of affordability" as the reason that "drives all of those people to line up and storm through doors on Black Friday" (emphasis added), I'm not sure such a blanket statement can be made. Surely there are a variety of reasons for why people purchase and/or reduce their possessions.

I do agree, however, that not everyone can afford to "de-clutter" in the ways laid out in all of these books and blogs. Many of them maintain the assumption that a person can go out and acquire a needed item in the moment it's needed, so there's no reason to have it stored in your home all the rest of the time. That is not the case for everyone. I also agree that a lack of possessions is not what grants happiness despite what many minimalists will try and tell you. Simply reducing one's possessions does not automatically bestow peace and joy.

Interesting how this article condemns the misinterpretation of Black Friday shoppers' motives, but may be misrepresenting what minimalism is to some of its practitioners. As mentioned, people reduce possessions for a number of reasons just as they shop sales for a number of reasons. At the heart of it is your motivation. Are you trying to maximize the things that matter most by cleansing your inner vessel? Are you simply following worldly/popular trends for appearance's sake? Are you wasteful? Are you prudent? Does the ritual of cleaning become more important than the stated reason for doing so? Does the philosophy of minimalism consume you or supersede your faith? Does materialism?

I've begun to view all of these things in terms of "washing," "annointing," and "sanctifying" (Exodus 40:12-13). I believe that each individual must purge the things that displace the essentials, whether those be physical items or spiritual principles. We can seek the Lord's guidance in this endeavor as the Holy Ghost will point directly to the problem. We can also receive the Lord's assistance in terms of adding to ourselves and our families. This recurring process of clearing space and filling it with righteousness is a sanctifying process. It is one of the ongoing patterns of our mortal lives.