People Share Everything You Wanted To Know About Marie Kondo And The Magic Of Tidying Up
If you don't know the name 'Marie Kondo' then you've clearly been living under a rock; or you're just waking from your New Year's Eve liquor coma because honey..... 2019 is all about Marie and how she is going to organize and cleanse our lives.
Netflix's 'Tidying Up' hosted by Marie Kondo is sweeping the nation. Marie is the mother of the KonMari method. What is that you ask? It is the method defining the act of taking all that you possess, materialistically, pulling it together and separating it into different categories. Then... you go one category at a time and begin a 'purge.' The idea is that you continue ownership of only the things that "spark joy!" Once you accept this merriment, you find a place for each item in your life. Whatever remains after i.e, all that is joyless, well that stuff is banished. Give it away, burn it, destroy it, who cares, just get it out of your sight.
Marie's methods have been met with some controversy and blowback for being a bit... extra, but for the most part we've all become obsessed. Mainly because in our heart of hearts we're all hoarders in some way and we are dying on the inside to find productive ideas to change that behavior. So let's learn a few things about Marie, because she is not going anywhere anytime soon. If Netflix is smart they've renewed her for a decade because she is basically on the path to be our Oprah for tidiness.
She didn't start all of a sudden....
Marie is the author of several publications. Kondo has penned four books on organizing and has sold millions of copies in a myriad of languages. The book T"he Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" (2011) is her most successful to date and helped to land her on Time's 100 Most influential List for 2015.
She got a man too! And some kids...
Imagine having to live this method with the person who created it? She has a husband named Takumi Kawahara and two daughters. I'm sure they're a perfectly fun and happy family but you know nobody is sleeping in on the weekends because chores need to get done and bedsheets need cleaning. That's real joy right there! She has said at first he wasn't the tidiest of men but that has since changed with her inspiration.
Blessed be the Cleansed!
Her KonMari Method was inspired is some ways by the Japanese folk religion of "Shinto."
Apparently the followers of Shinto believe cleaning and organizing is a spiritually orgasmic experience that brings you nearer to the divine which is the most effective way to live your best life.
Obsessed Much?
Back in her school days, Marie would efficiently spend her time by organizing bookshelves. Literally, this wasn't just what she did for fun, she saw it as a calling. She actually treated this as part of her education.
Being Saved!
One day while in the throes of shelf organizing she experienced what seemed like a breakdown and fainted, she probably got her blood boiling with organizational ecstasy. She was out cold for two hours and when she came to she says she heard a voice that showed her the true way.
She understood that she needed to do more than just organize and toss things out, she needed to embrace what could be kept and acknowledge the joy that was attached to all that is left behind. Hence sparking the method.
This Can be You Too!
Anyone of us can become certified to teach this method. Apparently we can give seminars and do home visits and be missionaries of Marie as long as we pass the class. To be a KonMari Consultant, one has to attend a seminar, audition by tidying with two clients, and of course there is a written exam. Oh and of course you must read her books and be a fan of the system. Simple enough. But not cheap. The path to being a KonMari consultant carries a price tag of $1,500.00
Bravo Audience!
Thanks to Marie's intense process its being reported that Thrift stores are seeing an uptick in donations. That is a most definite plus as many American families are in need this winter. Goodwill has personally credited the show with their influx.
The Perfect Fit!
She stands a powerful 4 feet, 7 inches tall. Well that makes it easy to get to the hard to reach corners of any closet.
Spread the love....
Newsweek reported that in an interview with 'The Japan Times' she discussed how her loved ones have been benefitting from her calling for quite some time.
"I used to clean my brother and sister's rooms, and I would go to friends' houses and clean their rooms, too."
Folding is Key....
Kondo has her own special and unique process of "vertical folding." Her technique is a surefire way to your keep on top of our closets by keeping their inhabitants in order. She almost makes clothing into an art form. She likens it to origami.
Pee You....
She adores the sense of smell. She adores it so much that it pains her when she is subjected to an abhorrent stench. In an interview she stated.... "If a room has some garbage, like stinky garbage, old food and stuff, yes it does bother me sometimes. But not because of the amount of clutter, it is just the smell."
Pants Off...
She is a bit if a fashionista who likes to eep it old school. She has banished pants from he attire apparently. Kondo told the New Yorker that years ago pants, yes pants... stop bringing her joy.
Don't Look at Me...
She prefers to keep her personal life personal. She doesn't splatter her life across social media and hasn't given access of her own home. Though she has harmonized thousands of people's sanctuaries she refuses a peek at hers. Interesting... hiding something un-joylike Marie?
The Muses....
She actually appreciates clutter and uses it as a creative force. She told a Reddit fan... "because it is a good feeling for me to imagine how this person can declutter."
That's one way to get randy.
Delete, Delete, Delete....
She is not only coming for your closet. She has ways to clear up every aspect of our stress. When it comes to work and emails we all can fall severely behind. One Redditor asked her about what they should do and she had the answer, replying....
This is kind of a common question, even in Japan.
Well, I recommend to take the same method as you tidying up your house. For example, you should dedicate the whole day to tidying up your email inbox (or in one shot). In the same way, you move on to the next category of documents and files - for example, you just want to work on this specific folder today. But you want to get it ALL done. It is important to finish up this category in one shot.
I know your eyes get very tired! You can take a break while doing it.
The Power of 6!
If you've not gotten onboard the Kondo train after hearing all this then review the following sic simple steps listed in 'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up' by Marie and if you feel it touches you, take a glance at 'Tidying Up' on Netflix...
- Commit yourself to tidying up.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
- Finish discarding first.
- Tidy by category, not by location.
- Follow the right order.
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
Also, be sure to check out these Kondo-inspired tools for keeping a clean home.
Dating and the search for love and companionship... What a nightmare.
This journey plays out nothing like in the movies.
Every Prince or Princess (or everything in BTW) seems to have a touch of the psycho.
The things people say during what should be simple dinner conversation can leave a dining partner aghast.
Like... do you hear you?
Redditor detroit_michigldan wanted to discuss all the best ways to crash and burn when trying to make a romantic connection. They asked:
"You're on a date and it's going really great. What can another person say to ruin it completely?"
I once had a guy ask me if I was willing to follow him into the woods, depending on the price of the meal.
Yeah. No steak is worth that.
Plans After...
"Thanks for the ride but I have a date with someone else, I figured you wouldn't drive me if you knew I was going on a date with someone else and I really needed a ride."
"Online dating, talked to her for a while, finally got the courage to ask her out and then she said that as we got there."
iareyours
Mirror Image
“'You look just like my wife!'”
catalinachild
"I did have a guy tell me I reminded him of his son. I don’t believe English has a word to adequately describe my feelings at that time."
UnicornMagicRainbow
"That would definitely do it."
chaotica78
Third Wheel
"'Hope you don't mind if my mother joins us.'"
ofsquire
"Actually had a girl do this on a first date because she had anxiety issues. Honestly wasn’t bad except that 90% of the time she was silent and her mom talked over her."
"I didn’t mind that much and wouldn’t have minded trying again when she was more comfortable except that she was let go at the company we worked at and she deleted her social media profiles and she never responded on her number. Ah well."
Seightx
Liar
"'Hey bro aren't you gay? I made out with you last night.'"
"Random dude I've never seen before in front of my (f) date."
JHXC16
Was he lying though?
Filter Issues
"'You looked better on Tinder.'"
waqasnaseem07
"Isn’t it basic knowledge that everybody looks slightly worse than the worst picture you can find?"
no_user_ID_found
The Past
"'My ex used to do that too.'"
xxIvyOF
"Yep. I’ve definitely had two otherwise-decent-guy date-situations sour because the ex-comparisons just would not stop flowing. No woman wants to be seen as interchangeable—I’m not here to perfectly fill that ex-sized hole in your life. Focusing on the present moment and a future we could build together is a courtesy we need to grant each other in earliest dates of dating."
LarkScarlett
Powerless
"'I'm an alpha, you cant handle my top energy.'"
Midnightgay28
"I actually left a dude in the middle of dinner, in part, for saying this. I ordered an Uber under the table while pretending to listen to him. Went to the bathroom, and never came back. That was when I was young. Now I’d just say, 'How about we enjoy this meal in silence, before we head our separate ways.'”
UnicornMagicRainbow
Mommy...
"'Mother says I should be back by 9.'"
"Saying 'mother says' just feels weird."
bunnyrut
"That gives me Norman Bates vibes."
Werewolf_lover20
"'Mother says alligators are aggressive because they have an overabundance of teeth, but lack a toothbrush.'"
sodaextraiceplease
Obvs...
"'If you were going to be murdered, what method would you prefer. Purely hypothetical. Obvs.'"
Specific_Tap7296
If it looks anything like a Dateline NBC episode... RUN!
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Despite the advancement of technology rendering people left to their own devices–literally–to entertain them, there are some leisurely activities that will never go out of style.
Or so you would think.
Do people still knit to pass the time? Are people actively collecting stamps?
It depends on who's asking.
Curious to hear about hobby trends, Redditor gizehgizeh asked:
"What are once popular hobbies that are slowly dying these days?"

Before we've become conditioned to living on our phones, these activities used to keep people occupied.
Before Texting, There Was This
"Letter writing."
– littlekingMT
Literal And Tangible Joy
"Well the internet killed pen pals for sure. I do remember I had a Japanese girl for a penpal maybe back in 2007 or so. I honestly don't remember how it started, pretty sure some website, but that was a fun experience. But now I can just straight up talk to foreign people real time, lol. But yea getting a physical letter that someone took the time to write and mail still is hard to beat feelings wise."
– skyburnsred
Model Trains
"When I was growing up, every town had a model train store in it. Now I have one in region and everything else has to be bought online."
– Hairy_Effective1172
Pretty Rocks
"Don’t see anyone playing marbles anymore, I had an awesome collection in school."
– sheeple85
"I had some marbles as a kid in the 90s. My grandma got them for me and I had no idea what I was supposed to do with them. I always imagined them as a thing kids in the 40s played with."
– Ryoukugan
People Were Moving Canvases
"Paintball has been dying a slow death since 2006. Sad, really."
– hobo_recycler
Before the general population began hating clutter, collecting was once a "thing."
Precious Coins
"Coin collecting... I'm a silver/gold nut and I'm always hunting for precious metal coins. whenever I go into a shop they get all excited because 'no one under 70 collects coins anymore.'"
– ThatFishySmell99
Post It
"Stamp collecting."
– spooky_scully_mulder
"Collecting in general, really. Of course there are still prominent collectors but it's slipped more into enthusiast and niche territory than being a popular hobby that you might expect anyone to have."
– iuytrefdgh436yujhe2
What A Gem
"Rockhounding was immensely popular back in the 1950's and 1960's. Personally, I think it's a fascinating and fulfilling hobby, but when I go to a meeting at a rock and gem club, I'm usually the youngest one in the room by several decades."
– filthy_lucre
People once enjoyed making things.
Admiring The View
"Stained glass. I learned how to make it from my old man, and my junior high art class teacher also taught it. Very few artisans are still around."
– brobeanzhitler
Metal Vocation
"Black smithing."
– kenworth117
"I bought a forge to try. It’s insanely hard work, and crazy expensive. I still haven’t finished a piece."
– DSentvalue
Scrapbooking
"Yeah. I'm watching the arts and crafts stores around me completely uninstalling their racks for specialty paper. Now the only thing they have is mega packs of repeating colors/images. To boot all the inclusions like papercraft/die-cut things, washi tape, scissors, stickers, etc have gotten so expensive I would rather go buy $5 bags at value village to get an assortment of things versus buying anything new. I really, really miss yard sales for the same reasons."
– Phantasmai
I envy people who have jobs that are basically their hobbies.
Not everyone gets paid doing what they actually enjoy and have a profound level of passion for.
If they do, kudos to them.
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When we first meet someone–whether through mutual friends, at school, or in a new work setting–we generally feel people out to determine if they're worth getting to know.
While the process could take time, some people make our jobs much easier after spotting instant red flags.
Curious to hear about our general radar of people, Redditor xxFluffie asked:
"What is something that makes you immediately dislike someone?"

Some people just think they are absolutely hilarious and never realize they're the only ones laughing.
Next In Line
"They laugh about having screwed someone else over. If you think you're not next, well, you'll learn."
– whiznat
Unfunny
"when you mention you don't like a thing and they immediately do that thing 'as a joke.'"
– wayfinder
Playing Devil's Advocate
"Kneejerk contrarians. People who, no matter what you say you like or believe, just have to dismiss it and say they like or think the opposite."
– BubbhaJebus
People who put others down get slammed here.
Bad Parents
"When they treat their kids sh**ty in public. I don't mean handling tantrums, setting a rule, having to hurry to the train etc. I mean perfectly normal-behaved kids getting in trouble for trailing along peacefully, looking at things, asking questions etc."
"If you don't like tiny humans who learn the world, why have them??"
– raxeira-etterath
Public Humiliation
"Treating people sh**ty in public for laughs. Like being rude to service workers because they think it’s funny. Big red flag."
– Ok_Personality_1080
Simply Uncalled For
"Someone who is a d*ck to other people or animals for no reason."
– xebt1000
Those with ulterior motives rubs people the wrong way.
The Scheme
"If they try to get me to join their MLM scheme."
– spazmcgee1
Hard Sell
"A guy I used to be friends with in high school reached out a couple of years after graduating about a business opportunity he wanted my opinion on because 'you've always been smart', then he set up a Skype call and brought some other dude into the call and they started trying to sell me on what was clearly an MLM scheme. The guy went from friend to 'I'm never talking to you again' in a matter of 10 minutes."
– Mental-Afternoon-164
A Timeline
"Good gawd, this! I've had more than one exposure to this abject bullsh**tery..."
- Back in the late 80's/early 90's I was invited to a meeting of literally the OG "Pyramid" where you're recruited to pay in, and then you go out and recruit others to pay in, and the last in line got f'kall.
- In 1995 I had a coworker try to reel me into Amway, which was a hard no.
- In 2000 it was Pampered Chef, though to be fair they did have useful products.
- In 2009 a coworker tried to get me into some stupid video calling service that was obviously stupid from the description. He even got offended when I called bullsh*t.
– Mystical_Cat
Too much ego is a no-go.
I Can Do Better
"Being a b*tch just to stroke their own ego."
"We get it, you can lift 5lbs more than the 12 year old, you don't have to rub it in their face just because you're slightly better"
– Livia_Pivia
Can't Top This
"Oh, you did <story that's been told>? That's nothing! I did <implausible story>.
"I get the whole empathy through relating common experience, and I'm someone who does that (which drives some people crazy on its own), but there's a big different by empathising through common experience, and one-upmanship."
– Tisarwat
Lacking Conversational Etiquette
"Starting to talk over me when I was already talking."
"Stop it you rude, arrogant jerk."
– R33Gtst
If one or more of these traits sound familiar to you, you're not alone.
We don't have time for braggadocios, pyramid-schemers, and conversation interrupters.
And that's just for starters.
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Children tend to believe just about anything they hear.
That there are monsters under your bed, watching too much TV will make your head explode, and silly faces will be permanent if you make them too often.
The sky is truly the limit when it comes to silly things that children will believe.
Some call it naivitée, other's youthful innocence.
But it's hard not to look back with embarrassment on certain things we believed as a child, that today might simply seem dumb.
Redditor Disastrous_Toe_6548 was curious to learn the multitude of silly things people believed when they were children, leading them to ask:
"What's the dumbest thing you believed as a kid?"
Pleading to deaf ears...
"My dad told me he had hearing loss and couldn't hear me if I whined because my pitch would get too high."
"Would completely ignore me until I asked him questions in a normal voice."
"Trusted him implicitly until I was 12 and he yelled at my younger brother for whining."- Tyrion_Stark.
Get it while you can.
"That they took everything off the shelves when the supermarket closed."- fgyfddg.
Silly superstitions.
"My grandfather used to tell me that if I played with the fire, I'd pee the bed."
"I believed him for a while, until I got older."
"I think he was just trying to protect me from the fire."- teddypa1981.
"Rain, rain go away..."
"That if it was raining where I was, it was raining everywhere in the world."- morningshartz.
Age is just a number.
"My parents used to seem really old to me, so much so I believed they grew up like cave people as children, wearing giant leaves for clothes and what not."- Laleena_.
So that's how they're made!
"That smokestacks from the power plant created clouds."- Scaniarix.
An instant cure.
"The sun gives you sunburns, therefore, moonlight should heal them."- velocipeter.
Better safe than sorry.
"Don't drink and drive meant all drinks."
"My dad was super confused when I told him he wasn't allowed to have any soda until we got home."- hulagirlslovetoparty.
Don't believe everything you see on TV.
"There was an episode of Mickey Mouse where Mickey couldn’t reach something at first, so he tried again and somehow his arm was long enough to reach it."
"As a small kid I believed that if I couldn’t reach something, I should just try reaching for it again and my arm would then somehow be long enough to reach it."- That-Dutch-Person.
The miracle of childbirth.
"That babies are pooped out."
"When I was like 7 I was listening to my aunt as she explained that childbirth was pretty intense and painful for her, and I was all solemnly like, 'yeah, sometimes just my poops are painful, I don’t think I could get a baby out' and she went 'um, WHAT?' and her reaction made me realize real quick that I had f*cked up somewhere and I tried to change the subject while my mind was just reeling lol."- thesoundingfurrows.
Oh to be a child again.
And to believe literally everything you're told.
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