Dr. Ethan Kross

Yeah. Your example of your advisors resonates so strongly with myself.

Well, it entirely depends on my mental state. And prior to really getting involved in this space, I had no insight into why sometimes my office was a total mess and sometimes it is spic and span, unbelievably organized and clean. And so let me share with you some of the research in this space because I think it'll bear on this question you're asking.

Well, it entirely depends on my mental state. And prior to really getting involved in this space, I had no insight into why sometimes my office was a total mess and sometimes it is spic and span, unbelievably organized and clean. And so let me share with you some of the research in this space because I think it'll bear on this question you're asking.

Well, it entirely depends on my mental state. And prior to really getting involved in this space, I had no insight into why sometimes my office was a total mess and sometimes it is spic and span, unbelievably organized and clean. And so let me share with you some of the research in this space because I think it'll bear on this question you're asking.

a lot of people find that when they are experiencing chatter, they reflexively start organizing their spaces. So I'm a great example of this. My entire life, if we called my mother up right now, please let's not do it. But if we did, she could attest to the fact that there would always be a trail of towels and clothing from the bathroom to my bedroom and all over the place.

a lot of people find that when they are experiencing chatter, they reflexively start organizing their spaces. So I'm a great example of this. My entire life, if we called my mother up right now, please let's not do it. But if we did, she could attest to the fact that there would always be a trail of towels and clothing from the bathroom to my bedroom and all over the place.

a lot of people find that when they are experiencing chatter, they reflexively start organizing their spaces. So I'm a great example of this. My entire life, if we called my mother up right now, please let's not do it. But if we did, she could attest to the fact that there would always be a trail of towels and clothing from the bathroom to my bedroom and all over the place.

And my office is similar, piles of papers and books. And that's when life is good. I'm kind of free flowing. I'm getting in there. I'm being creative. I'm generating ideas. And I'm not really worried about everything around me. In fact, I'm really good at typically like tuning out my surroundings to focus in on the task at hand. I

And my office is similar, piles of papers and books. And that's when life is good. I'm kind of free flowing. I'm getting in there. I'm being creative. I'm generating ideas. And I'm not really worried about everything around me. In fact, I'm really good at typically like tuning out my surroundings to focus in on the task at hand. I

And my office is similar, piles of papers and books. And that's when life is good. I'm kind of free flowing. I'm getting in there. I'm being creative. I'm generating ideas. And I'm not really worried about everything around me. In fact, I'm really good at typically like tuning out my surroundings to focus in on the task at hand. I

When I'm experiencing chatter though, and this is true from the time I was little, I would always start putting things away. I would always start organizing things, making them nice and tidy. My office is always spotless. Sometimes I even take it further presently when I'm experiencing chatter. I clean up my office, then I go into the kitchen and I make sure that's nice and tidy.

When I'm experiencing chatter though, and this is true from the time I was little, I would always start putting things away. I would always start organizing things, making them nice and tidy. My office is always spotless. Sometimes I even take it further presently when I'm experiencing chatter. I clean up my office, then I go into the kitchen and I make sure that's nice and tidy.

When I'm experiencing chatter though, and this is true from the time I was little, I would always start putting things away. I would always start organizing things, making them nice and tidy. My office is always spotless. Sometimes I even take it further presently when I'm experiencing chatter. I clean up my office, then I go into the kitchen and I make sure that's nice and tidy.

And if it's really bad, like I'll clean up my kids' rooms and things like that. This is a very common experience. When you're experiencing chatter, you don't feel like you are in control. You're not in the driver's seat. The thoughts and feelings are taking over and they're pushing you in directions and to places that you don't want to be.

And if it's really bad, like I'll clean up my kids' rooms and things like that. This is a very common experience. When you're experiencing chatter, you don't feel like you are in control. You're not in the driver's seat. The thoughts and feelings are taking over and they're pushing you in directions and to places that you don't want to be.

And if it's really bad, like I'll clean up my kids' rooms and things like that. This is a very common experience. When you're experiencing chatter, you don't feel like you are in control. You're not in the driver's seat. The thoughts and feelings are taking over and they're pushing you in directions and to places that you don't want to be.

It's an aversive state and it's chronically activated for a lot of people. Human beings... In general, we crave control. We like to know that the world is orderly and predictable. There's some survival value that that communicates to us, right? If we know things are certain and proceeding in a predictable way. Creating order around us compensates for the lack of order and control we feel inside.

It's an aversive state and it's chronically activated for a lot of people. Human beings... In general, we crave control. We like to know that the world is orderly and predictable. There's some survival value that that communicates to us, right? If we know things are certain and proceeding in a predictable way. Creating order around us compensates for the lack of order and control we feel inside.

It's an aversive state and it's chronically activated for a lot of people. Human beings... In general, we crave control. We like to know that the world is orderly and predictable. There's some survival value that that communicates to us, right? If we know things are certain and proceeding in a predictable way. Creating order around us compensates for the lack of order and control we feel inside.

It's called compensatory control. And this is the explanation that is often provided for why so many of us augment our spaces to counteract, in this case, our emotional state. And so I don't know if that perfectly answers your question, but it, for me, highlights the way that we are tightly tethered to our surroundings in some circumstances.