People With Messy Rooms & Disorganized Desks Often Have These 3 High-IQ Traits
thodonal88 | ShutterstockFrom the time we were kids, we were led to believe that a messy room equals a messy mind. There is some truth to this idea, as cluttered spaces have been found to make people feel more stressed.
Unfortunately, all of this means that messy people are often accused of being lazy, which isn't true. Journalist John Haltiwanger argued that a chaotic workspace or room doesn't automatically lead to a chaotic mind. Instead, a messy room or disorganized desk can actually be a sign that you have a higher IQ, and could even be something to take pride in.
People with messy rooms and disorganized desks often have these 3 high-IQ traits:
1. They're unconcerned with the status quo
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Most people like for everything to stay a certain way, which was referred to as "status quo bias" by researchers William Samuelson and Richard Zeckhauser in 1988. This can hold you back when making decisions because you feel like you aren't supposed to deviate from what you're used to.
Haltiwanger believes that people who accept disarray as the natural order of things are rejecting the status quo because they're choosing to live on their own terms instead of being subject to societal standards. "Disorganized people have seen the light," he said. "They won't allow their lives to be dictated by propriety and convention."
This shows that people not only possess strong critical thinking skills but also have an innate ability to think for themselves instead of following the crowd.
2. They're deep thinkers
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People with high IQs spend a lot of time ruminating, but not in a bad way. They know how to develop systems that work for them individually, and they don't feel bad if other people don't get it.
Authors Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman explained how this can apply to a seemingly cluttered desk in their book "A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder." They wrote, "On a messy desk, the more important, urgent work tends to stay close by and near the top of the clutter, while the safely ignorable stuff tends to get buried to the bottom or near the back, which makes perfect sense."
Psychological scientist Kathleen Vohls backed this up in a study that proved being a bit messy can increase creativity. "Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights," she said. "Orderly environments, in contrast, encourage convention and playing it safe."
A messy person's elevated thought process might not work for others, but it serves them well, and that's all that matters.
3. They're brave and spontaneous
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Instead of worrying about minute details, messy people tend to focus on the big picture. They would rather focus all of their time and attention on the important task at hand than worry about other things. According to Haltiwanger, this makes them more adventurous and willing to take a leap, as opposed to organized people.
This is a sign of what leadership expert Jake Breeden calls a "courageous mind." Someone with a courageous mind is comfortable facing challenges and working through confusion and anxiety. They don't have to know everything, even though they often know a great deal.
This isn't most people's default. As Haltiwanger said, "There is simplicity and beauty in living a messy life, which is precisely why it produces such enlightened and innovative individuals." Maybe accepting your disorganized environment instead of fighting it isn't such a bad idea.
There's nothing wrong with organization, but there's nothing wrong with chaos either. Allow your messy environment to inspire you and try not to worry about cleaning it up now. Still, it's important to maintain a balance between organization and chaos.
Caithlin Pena is a multimedia reporter, editor, and journalist who covers news, relationship issues, and human interest topics. Her work has been featured on Today, NBC News, Huffington Post, Yahoo, PsychCentral, and Thought Catalog.
