When visiting a friend who has numerous collections of hobbies displayed in there living room does it make you likely to become more anxious to visit them?
I visited a friend and his home was sparse in comparison to mine having all my hobbies on display.
When he came to visit my place he seemed more anxious and this is what caused me to wonder more about.
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Maybe it was less about the display of hobbies that made him uncomfortable, and more about the amount of stuff in general. I have a few very minimalist friends who are uncomfortable in my cluttered home because they feel a bit claustrophobic by the presence of all the stuff.
@canidmajor
What if it was well organized, would you still feel uneasy?
Yes. My neighbour had an apartment full of Star Wars stuff. It was hard to walk around without breaking anything. My apartment is full of books and clothes, but at least most of them are in containers.
Does it make a difference if its outdoors in the wide open places or not?
Think like a Farmers market or a vast library etc
I don’t have a problem visiting friends with a lot of stuff displayed if it is neat. I’m uncomfortable in friends’ houses if they are very mess or noticeably dirty.
@Inspired_2write : My friends tell me that it is the quantity of stuff, not the organization or arrangement of it. When I have had some over for holidays dinners, I temporarily removed a lot of it, when I could, for their comfort.
I don’t do those dinners anymore, my house stays comfortably (for me) full of visible stuff.
Hmmmm this has got me thinking that maybe if some visitors are anxious in this way,
perhaps its better to display my hobbies on bookshelves that are enclosed in ?
( behind closed bookshelves)
Presently I have three walls with Pedigree’s, Maps,vintage family pictures,Completed cross
stitch scenes display on one bookshelf, antique books displayed,some of my designs sets(4)
( cups/plates) Cross stitch embroidery threads organized and on my wall for easy
access,small collection of various coffee pots ( 3), and office desk and small bookshelf with
all the paperwork for printing editing photographs etc.
However it is easy to get around my living room as I had organized for easy convenience and access as I need them .
I just meet my uncomfortable friends elsewhere, now.
@canidmajor
Great idea!
But now will consider placing a lot behind closed bookcase doors.
It would even be more practical to keep clean.
It would make me anxious more than likely. My husband has a whole guestroom for his many collections so I dont have to see them.
No. I love it, personally. My room is loaded with books and records and I’d hope I receive a few questions about them from visitors. I like looking at people’s collections. It makes me think they’re an interesting person. :)
@Demosthenes
Me too!
I love to view what others find interesting in there lives.
However those that are anxious may not?
I guess, but tons of things make me anxious. I guess this just isn’t one of them. If I hear a dog barking when standing at someone’s front door, that makes me anxious.
Both. Those dogs that jump up on you when they see you, I don’t like that. My best friend’s dog was like that so it was always a concern coming over to his house.
In general I don’t have an issue visiting someone else’s house as long as it’s not dirty. I think some people may be a bit anxious around collections because owners of collections can be very strict and stingy about them and it can be unfriendly. I mean, if I see “don’t touch” signs, I don’t feel welcomed.
@Demosthenes
WOW ! signs?
I wouldn’t want to visit that either..it would be like a Museum where no one can touch things.
Tells me that “things” are more important then people , maybe for some?
@Inspired I went to Japanese minimalism in my teens, maybe 15 if I recall. Even gave my bed away for a sleeping mat haha! Weird kid maybe haha.
No, I would not feel more anxious about what he might have in that there living room. I would probably find it interesting at least to see what someone might have in their living room, as a point of conversation.
I love looking at people’s stuff, but it does make me nervous if it’s overcrowded to the point where you have to watch where you step. I’d feel so bad if I broke something.
I have a friend whose stepmother used to have so much clutter, collectible type stuff, which to me was 90% crap. Glass candle sticks, little plaques with sayings on them, crap on the walls, silk flowers in vases, everything was cluttered. I used to fantasize about removing all that crap and making it sparse. I didn’t get anxiety about it but I thought how much nicer her house would look without all that crap. Of course, it’s just my opinion because obviously someone liked it – her – and that’s what counts.
I have a lot of stuff and I have friends that have a lot of stuff. I don’t have people over, partly due to having a lot of stuff. For me, it’s mostly clothes that I have nowhere to put, and things like craft stuff, which I have nowhere to put.
I visit a couple I know and they have a lot of stuff like mail and newspapers. They’re currently trying to declutter in the hopes that they can sell their house. I don’t get anxiety when I visit them.
It would only make me anxious if it was so full the walking space was narrow and everything was fragile.
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