...sign of our times...
Upon being handed a journal as a gift, a nine year-old asks his mom what it was. The mom says that it was a notebook to record his thoughts and feelings, every day. The kid replies, "You mean, it is a blog...on paper." Reader's Digest, Oct 2008 issueOn De-cluttering - Nice Explanation
A nice tidbit on why it helps us to keep our work environment or dwelling clean and tidy
“Multiple stimuli present in the visual field at the same time compete for neural representation by mutually suppressing their evoked activity throughout visual cortex, providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system.” Princeton University.
Sorry, I do not have a direct link to the study this supposedly came from. But this was referred to in an article by Paul Milano of EverProductive.com. Here is my understanding:
What is the function of the visual cortex? (from utexas.edu website)
Most of our cognitive functions and perceptual processes are carried out by the neocortex, which is the largest part of the human brain. The primary visual cortex is the part of the neocortex that receives visual input from the retina.
In other words, it can help us think more clearly.
The other operative keyphrase: by mutually suppressing their evoked activity
On other words, hushing up our impressions and thoughts
Another keyphrase: providing a neural correlate for the limited processing capacity of the visual system
In other words, it limits our processing.
In summary: Our ideas, thoughts and impressions (visual) are killed by clutter in our environment.