psychology behind hoarding

welcome to introspection ft. harsehaj! ⭐️ i’m harsehaj, a 19 y/o always up to something in social good x tech.

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onto today’s topic: psychology behind hoarding 🧹 

turns out there’s a lot of psychological research behind hoarding. that’s my rabbit hole of the day after watching people amass hundreds of random free trinkets from the on-campus popup stands. each of those items are probably sitting abandoned in the corner of people’s dorms.

there’s a distinction between hoarding and being a pack rat. hoarding veers the edge of being classified as a mental disorder — neuroimaging studies have actually revealed interesting commonalities among hoarders like severe emotional attachment to inanimate objects and extreme anxiety when making decisions. 😵‍💫 

this can often stem from a scarcity approach and outlook on life, which may have been planted through valid life experiences.

i, however, want to connect this concept to the prevalent inclination to hoard accolades. 🏅 

scooping every club spot, research position, and miscellaneous (and probably unrelated) opportunity in an effort to secure yourself success is a reflection of the anxiety associated with the uncertainty of it.

hoarding “success” is a real problem and it takes away from being able to distinguish what actually fuels your interest and excitement. the flip side of hoarding is gatekeeping it from others as a result of that scarcity mindset. it’s an interlinked vicious cycle that ends up leaving people isolated.

let things go!

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