The Drum - Imperfection can change the world

It feels like there’s no escape from Marie Kondo in 2019. From 'Kondoing' the house, your mind and even your friends; an Israeli newspaper went as far to ask her to "fix the Israeli-Palestinian mess". 

Every aspect of everything we do – 'Kondofied.' 

This bombardment has been driving me crazy and causing arguments over dinner about my creative clutter as I wade in with research on the benefits of being messy. In fact, I’m sorry to have brought it up again.

Whatever side of the messy vs tidy conversation you’re on, one thing the 'flood of Kondo' has achieved is bringing one of humanities least attractive traits back into sharp focus – our great drive for perfection. 

'Perfection' is the level to which the privileged few hold themselves to, and more importantly, expect the many (who can least afford it) to conform to.

Crazy standards of all kinds, ‘for our own good’ with no wiggle room, perfection can create feelings of missing out, of emptiness, of loss and of failure.

It can appear in the form of healthy to ‘clean eating’ – where being ever more strict with yourself is a badge of honour. It involves never allowing ourselves or others to slip up on Twitter or arises in the way women are preached at during pregnancy and motherhood. 

We have become a society who judges before we listen, and whose quest for knowing more about oneself and each other has resulted in a readiness to tell each other off for folding rather than rolling our t-shirts.

Read the full article here.