Wednesday, February 07, 2007

The Right Level and Type of Mess


Though it flies in the face of almost universally accepted wisdom, moderately disorganized people, institutions, and systems frequently turn out to be more efficient, more resilient, more creative, and in general more effective than highly organized ones. Just as the cost of neatness has been ignored, so have the potential benefits of achieving the right level and type of mess.

From Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder—How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and On-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place (2006).

2 comments:

Imani said...

This is reassuring; I knew that my "moderate" mess had an intellectual purpose. I shall have to use this line on my mother whenever she visits.

Melwyk said...

Don't you love this book? I found this statement vastly reassuring; and have posted it above my moderately messy desk...