“Let’s decide on the appropriate place for everything…. This will enable us to know which of our belongings are safe and sound, and which are not, because the place itself will cry out for anything that’s not there; our eyes will spot anything that needs attention; and knowing where each thing is will make it readily available so that there are no obstacles to our making use of it.”
Ischomachus in Xenophon, The Estate Manager
Spring is often associated with cleaning. It seems the word ‘clean’ can mean two main things, as indicated by two different words that can be its opposite: dirty and messy. In the home, both the dirty and the messy need to be cleaned.
In The Estate Manager, Xenophon devotes two chapters to the notion that everything in a home should have its own proper place. He offers a very helpful illustration, describing a Phoenician sea-going ship. He says, “I observed that all these objects were stored in such a way that they didn’t obstruct one another, didn’t need a search party, and weren’t either so loosely or so tightly packed as to cause a delay when there was an urgent need to find something.” It is in this that the difference between a Phoenician ship and my house—at least as regards my stuff—is most evident.
How much time have I spent looking for a tool wondering where I put it last time when I was finished with it? Indeed, I consistently make the mistake of thinking I don’t have time to de-clutter and organize my stuff, as I continue to suffer from the crippling effects—only one of which is wasting time—of my disorganization.
Cleaning, and here I use the term in its varied richness, is intrinsic to human life in this world. There is both an aesthetic side and a practical side, and neither should be underestimated. Yes, there will always be the danger of cleaning becoming an expression of an obsessive-compulsive disposition. But this danger—which certainly is to be avoided—must not distract us from the intrinsically salutary character of a clean and orderly environment, as well as of the work we do to achieve and maintain it.
Done well, cleaning is a way of loving human persons and fostering a truly human life. Cleaning should be an expression of the human difference. Xenophon marveled at the order in the Phoenician ship. And there is nothing quite like the dignity and pleasingness of a well-ordered house.
My wife has shared with me the notion of ‘spark joy.’ There are surely a good number of helpful plans for organizing our things in our home. I am grateful that Xenophon has clearly illustrated a basic principle of home life, one that grounds and gives inspiration for choosing and exercising such a plan. Our homes will probably never look like a Phoenician ship. But what goes on in our homes is in fact more complex, and more important. And this calls for our doing our best to instill an appropriate order in the material aspects of home life. Perhaps starting this spring.
Xenophon (430-354 B.C.) was a soldier, historian, and philosopher of Athens. Like Plato he wrote dialogues featuring Socrates as a great teacher. Among these dialogues is Oeconomicus, translated as The Estate Manager, in which we get an insight into the structure and principles of the ancient household.
Image: Carl Larsson (Swedish, 1853-1919)
Husband, father, and professor of Philosophy. LifeCraft springs from one conviction: there is an ancient wisdom about how to live the good life in our homes, with our families; and it is worth our time to hearken to it. Let’s rediscover it together. Learn more.
Hi John,
Your words hit me distinctly this spring-I am in the final week of work before a I take a new position and I have been cleaning and organizing my current office for the next person as well as wrapping up and handing off projects. I see organization as the first step in cleaning. It has led me to also consider how to do this better at home and helped me appreciate even more how having things organized also helps organize my mind. It helps me recognize the proper order of things and become aware when things are not fitting well and how to adjust them in that case. It helps hold objects in their proper place – as it forces us to reflect on the purpose behind having them and whether the object is serving that purpose well or there is another more apt solution. Finally, once done, it is a pleasure to enjoy the fruits of the labor.
I completely agree with your reflections, Malia. Thank you for sharing, and good luck in handing off your old job and settling in to your new one!
Thank you. I try to keep a clean and tidy home precisely because of the things you mention: the practicality, yes, but also because it is more dignified, pleasing, and human. So few of the people I know recognize that those things are my motive, not trying to have a magazine-ready house to impress the neighbors (though an added benefit is not being embarrassed when unexpected guests come to the door). I find that it actually takes less time overall to keep things clean and organized than it does to dig out after letting things go. I appreciate your recognition of the importance of a well run home!
Also, the picture is my favorite Carl Larsson painting!
Well said. Isn’t it interesting how this is something that normally we just have to keep striving for… and it really does have tangible and enjoyable fruits, no?
Thank you for this beautiful reflection which perfectly represents my thoughts on order and cleanliness. We suffer as a society from a slovenly attitude towards everything and are labeled (negatively) as perfectionists/type A/OCD personalities when we take time to do what used to be “normal”–dressing appropriately when we leave the house or keeping a neat, clean environment to live in. Catering to the constant interruptions and distractions of technology and outside activities often saps the time once given to maintaining the home. I could go on! It helps that my German heritage loves order. 🙂
Karen, I too have noticed how the label of OCD sometimes is applied to taking an appropriate care about details. Certainly OCD is something real, but we must be able to make the appropriate distinctions. Thanks for the thought!