What is a Pack Rat?
- Written By: A Kaminsky
- Edited By: Niki Foster
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Copyright Protected:
2003-2013 Conjecture Corporation
The definition of a pack rat depends largely on one's point of view. In the wild, a pack rat is a small rodent that lives communally, in large nests called middens, and collects any found objects to assist in building the nest. Among humans, a pack rat is one who keeps everything and has a hard time throwing anything away. This writer is a proud pack rat.
Most people who consider themselves to be pack rats hate to throw things away because "you never know when you might need it." Some self-help gurus consider the pack rat syndrome to be some sort of dysfunctional disease, but it is simply the other side of the neat-freak coin. A neat-freak throws everything away and has the home organized to the utmost degree. As a result, people feel strange about sitting on any of the furniture, lest they soil it. A pack rat may or may not be a decent housekeeper, but guests will feel perfectly at home putting their feet on the coffee table. Every yin has a yang.
The main problem for a pack rat is what to do with all the stuff he or she accumulates. Organized pack rats usually find space to store their stuff in one place. The disorganized pack rat stores the stuff all over the house —- any flat, level surface becomes storage, whether it is the dining room table or an ironing board.
My great-aunt was a pack rat of monolithic proportions. That dear lady never threw anything away. She had church journals and National Geographic magazines from the 30s and 40s in her den. It took her five daughters over a year to clean out her house and outbuildings. However, as is often the case with pack rats, many treasures were discovered among her things.
The term "pack rat" does have some unflattering connotations. "Collector" is used by many pack rats who don't want the stigma. A pack rat by any other name still keeps a lot of stuff around. Ideally, a pack rat should strive to keep those things that are truly important, throw away the detritus, and maybe have a yard sale once in a while. Some community education programs offer one-day classes on organizing closets and homes, and these may be helpful if the clutter level is getting unmanageable.
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Discuss this Article
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anon274766
Post 8 |
The one year rule is absurd. People do collect things and actually use them several years later. Time is what dictates when those items will be used. Where would all the antique furniture be today if everybody tossed the old crap out? There needs to be a balance between people enjoying saving things and people who enjoy tossing everybody else's stuff away. Where I live, my spouse lets me buy it (and pay for it because we both want it) then she has no problem getting rid of it one year later. The people who get rid of stuff quickly are just as sick as the ones who save too much. |
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anon261362
Post 7 |
I need to know two names that a packrat can otherwise be known as. |
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anon243394
Post 5 |
There are reasons to keep items by people who can justify these items inside the house. I have read the japanese 5 s and it really helped me a lot in my office and in our house. We studied the 5 s and it's very useful. For example, if you have a box, place all your same items inside this box, whether it's hats, books or whatever. Put a date on it and keep it. If, after a year or say six months, you never opened the box, it means you can get rid of the contents and you don't need it. I suggest that the pack rats read the 5 S and it might help. Thanks for sharing. |
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anon90511
Post 4 |
When pack rats shop, they would buy the stuff they think they might need. Then they take it home and if they don't use it right away, they just find a niche or box and just leave it. Sometimes they may never look at it or touch it again. When they shop next time, they forget they already have it or knew they had it but couldn't locate it and will buy it again. Over the years things just pile up. Organizing or house cleaning most likely isn't part of their daily life. For some pack rats, they don't even recognize they hoard things and would not think of needing to declutter as the commenters suggested. |
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anon37446
Post 3 |
I love this article. Made me laugh..."may not be a decent housekeeper..putting your feet on the coffee table..." does this writer know me? I found this information encouraging. I don't feel condemned to a mental problem, and appreciate the suggestions. I think more of us than not have piles of clutter because we're living in the fast lane and are pretty much exhausted. Get rid of little bits everyday. Yay. I can do that. |
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bigmetal
Post 2 |
there's one system of de-cluttering and reclaiming your home from the chaos that recommends doing what they call a "27 Fling Boogie." basically, you take a trash bag, and every day, go through your house and find 27 things to throw away. you also attack "hot spots" --those places near your front door, kitchen counter and dining room table that accumulate junk mail, receipts, half finished projects, etc. a couple times a day, patrol those hot spots and throw away trash, put stuff away, etc. by dealing with clutter continuously, you can tame even the biggest pack rat in you. |
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somerset
Post 1 |
I have just read in a magazine how helpful it is to place one to two items that you are willing to part with, next to the door. It is good to do it every day, that way you will slowly eliminate all the items you have not used for a while, and you absolutely don't have to have. When you leave the house take the items with you and drop them in public trash container, that way you will not have a chance later to change your mind. Slowly you will eliminate all the clutter, and have a more peaceful and pleasant life. I thought that was a good method to help oneself create a more beautiful home. |
