Need for Order

Having order – a sense of organized structure in our environment or tasks – helps us function with fewer errors and less mental effort. When things are sorted, in their proper sequence, standardized where appropriate, and documented clearly, we don’t waste brainpower trying to find things or figure out chaotic faux feelings. This need for order may drive us to tidy up, make checklists or schedules, establish routines, and write down procedures. By reducing clutter and unpredictability, orderliness actually increases our capacity for higher-level thinking: with basic details under control, our attention is “freed up” for creativity, problem-solving, or subtle analysis. Empirical studies have found that people in an organized setting tend to perform better on complex cognitive tasks and make more prudent decisions than those in a messy or unstructured setting (disorder imposes a cognitive tax). In summary, maintaining order mitigates unnecessary cognitive strain and distraction, providing a stable platform from which we can engage in more nuanced or inventive thinking.