I would guess that the military’s obsession with cleanliness and neatness also helps conserve executive function. Being in a messy, disorganized, visually unappealing environment probably puts a lot of strain on your visual cortex, which leaves less cognitive resources available for decision-making. Paul Graham wrote something similar:
A cluttered room saps one’s spirits. One reason, obviously, is that there’s less room for people in a room full of stuff. But there’s more going on than that. I think humans constantly scan their environment to build a mental model of what’s around them. And the harder a scene is to parse, the less energy you have left for conscious thoughts. A cluttered room is literally exhausting.
I became hyperaware of this (and many other things in the same space) after my stroke; my available attention was severely constrained and for a few weeks during rehab I would do noticeably better on cognitive tests if I kept my room empty. (Going outside was overwhelming.)
I no longer notice the difference unless I’m paying very close attention to my internal state, because I have cognitive capacity to spare now and I am profligate with it, but the effect remains real.
Keeping things neat and clean also serves as a reminder for a helpful kind of self image. If you’re the kind of person who can’t even properly keep your house clean, how could you possibly muster your willpower for any other challenges?
I would guess that the military’s obsession with cleanliness and neatness also helps conserve executive function. Being in a messy, disorganized, visually unappealing environment probably puts a lot of strain on your visual cortex, which leaves less cognitive resources available for decision-making. Paul Graham wrote something similar:
I’ll second this.
I became hyperaware of this (and many other things in the same space) after my stroke; my available attention was severely constrained and for a few weeks during rehab I would do noticeably better on cognitive tests if I kept my room empty. (Going outside was overwhelming.)
I no longer notice the difference unless I’m paying very close attention to my internal state, because I have cognitive capacity to spare now and I am profligate with it, but the effect remains real.
Keeping things neat and clean also serves as a reminder for a helpful kind of self image. If you’re the kind of person who can’t even properly keep your house clean, how could you possibly muster your willpower for any other challenges?