In this week’s readings, we dove into the concept of hoarding. Hoarding is not something I often thought about unless I was actively watching TLC’s Hoarders show. The initial feelings I get from watching this show are usually of disgust and/or shock. It is important to recognize why we feel the way we do and how that relates to our social biases. In a way society has shaped us to believe being clean is the correct way to live while being a disorganized person with clutter is considered dirty and undesirable. It is so normalized that people have classified hoarding as a mental disorder in need of fixing. But are these characteristics of hoarders so bad? In the “Hoarding Disorder” reading from DSM Hoarding is classified as a difficulty in discarding possessions. They relate hoarding to unsanitary conditions caused by indecisive, stressful lives or by familiar habits. Of course, we should not let our environment become harmful to our health, but I think it’s interesting to consider why we view hoarding as a mental disorder. This identification not only relates to the self but also to the outer views of people with clutter. In the reading from Herring Scott, we undergo the case study of the Collyer brothers Homer, and Langley. We know they passed away from the clutter in their house, but to me, the biggest takeaway was the role of the media and others’ interpretations of their lifestyle and ultimate death. Because of the media, there was a shift from connecting hoarding with “eccentric accumulation” to rather a “pathological pileup”. We also can see a social shift where they devalue wealthy white men because of the condition of their home. At the time people also blamed the outcome of the brother’s home to what they called “Harlemitis” which blamed the increasing number of POC in the city. I think these components say a lot about society and societal constructs, but it’s key to acknowledge these unconscious biases to reflect on our own opinions and subconscious interpretations of these matters.