# Excess Is the Birthplace of Clutter

Source: https://www.theminimalists.com/excess/
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2024-06-12
Author: The Minimalists

---

An [empty room](https://www.theminimalists.com/empty/) alone cannot be cluttered; it is not until we introduce physical artifacts that our homes grow messy, slowly suffused with stuff.

[Minimalism](https://theminimalists.com/minimalism), then, is not a [radical lifestyle](https://www.theminimalists.com/radical/): it is simply a way to bring balance to our lives, to [organize](https://www.theminimalists.com/organizing/), [prioritize](https://theminimalists.com/priorities/), and discover what is appropriate. And if something is not appropriate, then it is excess—the birthplace of clutter.

Clutter: how inappropriate.

Subscribe to The Minimalists via [email](https://theminimalists.com/subscribe/).