Late to the thread, but wow… I think most of us get what ZK was trying to say here, and he did not connect being tidy to being a rapist or convict of any sort. Not sure where that came from.
FWIW, I tend to have the reputation of being a “neat freak,” even though it’s more of an obsessive-compulsive issue with certain things like floors, counters, towels, sponges, etc. I’m very particular about certain things, like finances, and need most things to be very much in order. This is NOT healthy, IMHO, and I do not think of my husband as being lucky to have me in this sense (I make it up in other ways). Even though my DH likes things clean, the poor guy has to live with me constantly fussing about one thing or another.
I do agree that messy-ish people are probably more laid-back (and very neat people are probably more uptight), but see this as a good thing. Of course, hoarding is extreme, and all the hoarders I know (with at least a couple of official hoarders in the family — yes, I think it’s genetic) are depressed and have some mental/emotional issues, but hoarding is not the same as being a bit messy or disorganized.
I like tidy and uncluttered, and this book looks very interesting to me, but that doesn’t mean that people who think differently are superior or inferior to the tidy folks. To each his or her own, as long as it doesn’t harm anyone else.
