What do you think of Marie Kondo?

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Marie Kondo is this new meme (if a person can be a meme, and I think she can be), a Japanese woman who wrote a book called Tidying Up, who advises we get rid of everything in our home or work space that doesn't "spark joy." Not only do I dislike her philosophy, but when she was on late night TV, talking a mile a minute in Japanese (with an interpreter present) I just wanted to mute her. She'll say some pronouncement and then grin with a self-satisfied look. How did this woman ever get to be taken seriously?

Your bigotry is evident, but I do like her philosophy. Changed my life.

Which part of what Bea said was bigoted?

I really want to know because I don't often identify communication accurately with non-verbals but sometimes I also require clarification in the written word.

I saw nothing of a bigoted nature in Bea's comments.

Yes. Its not obvious to me either how Bea was being "bigoted".

Bea sounds like how my Dad used to talk about Norman Vincent Peale (a fellow WASP American male).

I also am waiting to learn how I was bigoted.

Being annoyed that she spoke Japanese.

I voted "Who?", but I have heard of her. I am not watching her TV show, nor doing what she advocates. And apparently it's a racket - people come into your home & suggest ways to make it better, then they come back, again & again. It is a life-long commitment, at least according to two practitioners who were on a CBC radio call-in show a few weeks ago.

OK, sorry. Maybe it's just an autistic thing.

I didn't get that Bea was annoyed solely by the woman speaking Japanese, I think she was annoyed by more than one factor?

Bigotry- intolerance toward those who hold different opinions from oneself.

The Japanese language isn't an opinion, it's a language.

Your assertion that Bea was annoyed that the woman was speaking Japanese and if so, Bea was bigoted doesn't make sense to me.

Oops, I must have posted my response just as you were posting yours....

I do apologize, it was wrong of me to jump to conclusions.

It's okay.

How did Marie Kondo change your life?

I've been hoarding lots of crap I didn't need. One day I took 3 full sized pickup truck loads full of junk to the dump. There's still more to get rid of, but I can finally get to various projects I'd been planning but forgot about. I had all the stuff to do it, but no space. I also had lots of clothes that I didn't wear, and too many DVDs. She made me realize that almost all of it was unnecessary and wasn't making me happy.

Oh, I get it!

About 15 years ago I went through a life change. I was living on little money, and had lost my career direction and my health. I adopted the mantras, "Less is more" and "Live simply, that others may simply live." Voluntary simplicity. I'm still getting rid of stuff, but have pared down very greatly.

Then about 10 years ago I married the lovely man I'm still with. Unfortunately he was a hoarder (in my view) or a collector (in his view). We had to sell his car and his home when we moved into a smaller home and combined households. It was like pulling teeth. He is now in early-stage Alzheimer's though and I have been successful in offloading lots of his things, sometimes with permission, sometimes just knowing that he won't miss them. (Have not been wrong so far.) He still tries to acquire stuff but I can usually dissuade him, letting him buy something occasionally because it pleases him.

Anyway ... the thing about Marie Kondo is, I don't need someone to tell me to do these things, I just need to do them. And I have. There is something kind of fake about her, maybe not in her own culture (I wouldn't know) but when she comes on an American talk show and speaks extremely fast (as if rattling off a spiel) and then grins cutely, I ain't buying that. What Brightonpete said kind of agrees.

I like her in the show because of her "Japaneseness" and the "before/after" element which is always fun to watch.

That being said, knowing a thing or two about Japanese culture her ~philosophy~ really doesn't surprise me or bring something new to philosophical ideas I've already hoarded in my brain. It is a good reminder that being tidy, lessening clutter and keeping things I need/ love is better for my mental health but you don't need a Phd for that!