What Are Your “Broken Windows”? Here’s a List of Mine

broken-window
broken-window

The "broken windows theory" of policing holds that when a community tolerates minor examples of disorder and petty crime, such as broken windows, graffiti, turnstile-jumping, or drinking in public, people are more likely to commit more serious crimes.

As a law-enforcement theory, it's controversial, but whether or not it's true on a city-wide level, I think it's true on a personal level.

My "broken windows" are the particular signs of disorder that make me feel out of control and overwhelmed.

  • Unsorted mail

  • Messy stacks of newspapers

  • Shoes in odd places

  • Cluttered counters

  • Dirty dishes scattered around the apartment (for my husband, as he often emphatically reminds me, dirty dishes left overnight are broken windows; for me, as long as the dishes make it into the sink, life feels under control)

From what I've observed, people's other "broken windows" often include:

  • Staying in pajamas or sweats all day

  • Eating food straight from the container

  • Wearing stained or ripped clothes

  • Goofing off at work, even if no one notices

  • Piles of laundry or trash

  • An unmade bed

About the last item: surprisingly, whenever I ask people what resolutions they've tried, and that make them happier, "Make my bed" is the most common resolution that's mentioned. It's a very trivial thing, but it makes a big difference. (By the way, a survey by the National Sleep Foundation showed that people who make their bed are more likely to report a better night's rest.)

Does fixing a broken window really matter? After all, in the context of a happy life, a pile of unsorted mail isn't a big deal. In themselves, perhaps, these broken windows don't matter much. But enforcing small signs of order make us feel more in control-and happier.

What are your "broken windows"? They're different for different people. Do you agree that small signs of disorder can make you feel out of control, generally?

Also ...

  • If you love reading reports about the latest research as much as I do, check out Science Daily.

  • Would you like signed, personalized, free bookplates for copies of Happier at Home or The Happiness Project, for yourself or for friends? Or a signature card with "Paradoxes of Happiness" or "Tips for Happiness in Your New Home"? Request them here. Don't know what I'm talking about? Look here.