Poll: Organised, or OCD?

[Trivun]

Inspired by the "One Lost Disk..." thread.

I tend to make sure my room is neat and tidy, and I tend to organise my things so they're easy to find. For example, I have a massive DVD and CD collection, so I keep them alphabetical by film title or music artist. And yet, my family says I must have OCD for that, when all I'm doing is making sure my (large) collections of things are easy to navigate. I don't want to spend ten minutes looking for a DVD when I can just pick it from the right place on the shelf in five seconds instead. Is there something odd about that, or is it just me?

For the record, my brother, who is the main person who claims I have OCD, tends to leave things lying around in his room, never makes his bed, and generally lives in a pigsty for a bedroom. When at university I don't do much hoovering or dusting or anything, but I keep my room neat, and when I'm at home for holidays I've had it drummed into me from an early age to clean things up if they need doing.

And to add further discussion to this, as well as debating my apparent OCD, or lack thereof, what are you guys and girls like when it comes to being tidy? Is everything a mess for you, or do you like to stay organised?

[small]DISCLAIMER: I accept no responsibility for any offence caused to anyone during this discussion, or for any offence caused to those who may possibly have OCD or any related compulsion to clean or tidy places, wash their hands compulsively, watch the Scrubs episodes with Michael J Fox in, or otherwise have any relation to the causes, symptoms or consequences of OCD or any related or affiliated disease,disorder, condition or state of mind, or any physical or mental conditions resulting from any of the aforementioned articles of this disclaimer. And if you have read all of that in a single breath, I congratulate you and now order you to stop being so bloody stupid, start breathing normally again, and post in the bloody thread and stop wasting everybody's time, assuming you have time to waste by being on a forum in the first place.[/small]

 

[Trivun]

Right, if people are going to come here and vote in the poll, can you please actually add to the discussion, thank you? It's silly just adding to the poll and not bothering to tell us your opinion, after all...

 

[Scobie]

DELETED

 

[Serenegoose]

Everything's a mess for me, because that actually is my tidy - I find things based on where they last were, and I have a great memory. So my USB wireless thingumy was last underneath and behind my computer table, hidden next to the wall - but I remember it being there months ago when I last needed it, so it was tidied away. I remember where everything is like that. That said, I do actually like a neat room, so occasionally I get sick of the mess and tidy up - and lose everything, because it's all hidden away in cupboards, drawers, and other traps of neatness that only serve to ensure I never actually -see- any of my rooms items, and so forget where they are.

 

[Retardinator]

Scratching yourself five times with each hand to keep things symmetrical is OCD. Being organized is not.
Boy, do I have problems...

 

[Quala]

Yeah, that wouldn't be OCD. Thats wanting to be neat. I like to keep my stuff semi neat, ive gotta move some old gamecube games to storage for room on my game rack, though I keep my recently played games lying on the couch. I think I may have mild OCD though, if there is such a thing. I find I have odd urges to move certain directions or look certain ways in FPS' sometimes.

 

[Kif]

Not OCD.

 

[Ickorus]

I voted the top option despite being a very messy person, I do like things clean but I always seem to have something better to do.

 

[Lord Monocle Von Banworthy]

My 300 disc CD book used to be "organized" by purchase order. I could tell somebody in my passenger seat to open the book about midway and look on the right-hand page, lower left corner for a particular disc and it would always be there. (This was pre-iPod days.)

Just to bake your noodle though I'll point out that organizing something by any one characteristic DISorganizes it according to all other characteristics. You can sort your games by genre and they'll be mixed up by studio. Sort your DVDs by title and they're mixed up by director. If you're OCD this'll disturb you. If you're not, you won't care about the above drivel. That's my little test.

 

[Outright Villainy]

I keep my crap in a huge mess, but I can usually find it instantly. It's when I've it tidied away that I forget where everything is. I'm also insanely lazy and not bothered about a messy room, so I guess I'm just used to a chaotic organisation.

Everything's a mess for me, because that actually is my tidy - I find things based on where they last were, and I have a great memory. So my USB wireless thingumy was last underneath and behind my computer table, hidden next to the wall - but I remember it being there months ago when I last needed it, so it was tidied away. I remember where everything is like that.

So yeah, pretty much this. Except I never tidy. I've found old copies of notes in my bag from up to 2-3 years ago.

 

[teqrevisited]

I voted top as I wouldn't say it's OCD; just keeping things where you can find them and where they're out of the way.

Me? I leave most of my things strewn about the desk, the floor, anywhere there's a solid surface really. I can always find what I'm looking for and usually everything I need is always at hand.

In my work, though, I'm the complete opposite. Everything has to be done to a point. If it isn't what or where it should be it gets moved, removed or changed entirely until it's absolutely right.

 

[Nyrad01]

I don't think you really understand what OCD really is OP. OCD doesn't mean having things organized so well with huge quantities that are easy for you to navigate through. OCD basically is a mental block that essentially forces a person to perform the same actions over and over again on very specific tasks and should anyone upset that task then the person with OCD will correct the action. Most of the time it is on the very minute details like making sure a tail on a part of a carpet is pointed in a specific direction.

So no, you don't have OCD. You probably obsess too much on organizing your property but if you obsess with keeping it organized every second or have to reorganize the collection every second should you see something you don't like such as a cd sticking out a fraction of an inch then you might have OCD.

I agree with Tenmar here, neatness doesn't always mean OCD. I'm an incredably messy person but I have pretty bad OCD with doors. When I leave my house I check that the doors are locked 5 or 6 times before I even think of leaving my garden, and even then I usually hop back to unlock and lock the doors again to make sure their locked, and at night I'll get up every half an hour or so to ensure that the doors are locked, even though I know they are. It started as simple paranoia and now has got to the point I feel physically sick if I don't check them, not fun... But yeah, neatness isn't always OCD