As a kid, I often made a mess of my room. My parents would regularly ask me to clean it, always repeating the same mantra:
A clean room gives a clear mind.
This statement intrigued me. It wasn’t just because I found it to be true — whenever I cleaned up, my mind did feel clearer. But I couldn’t help but wonder: How could something material, like the arrangement of my Pokémon cards or my messy desk, affect something as immaterial as my thoughts? How could the physical order of my room influence my mind?
This question sparked a journey of reflection that would ultimately shape my view of the world.

The Principle Expands
At first, I wondered if this principle applied only to my room. But when my mom cleaned up the living room after a messier celebration — say, during the football World Championship, when our living room was filled with orange flags, napkins, and cake — I realized the same idea held true. A clean living room also gave a clear mind.
This wasn’t just about cleanliness; it was about how different environments influenced our state of mind. A festive room, with its energy and colors, fostered a festive spirit. A quiet, orderly room calmed my thoughts.
As I continued to observe, I noticed this connection extended beyond my home. The spaces we inhabit shape our moods and behaviors in profound ways.
The Influence of Surroundings
I began noticing how the environment shaped behavior in broader contexts. For example, a neighborhood playground changed how children and parents behaved — it made them feel comfortable and open to new experiences. Even entire cities had their own distinct effects on people. Visiting a new city could evoke a range of emotions, depending on its architecture, layout, and energy.
Perhaps most striking was how different settings could provoke completely different behaviors. Imagine a group of people at a nightclub, laughing, dancing, and talking loudly. Now, place them in a church on Sunday, and they’re sitting in silence, reverent. The same people, but in radically different environments, behaving in entirely different ways.
It might seem obvious that people act differently depending on the setting, but this highlights an important truth: These spaces are intentionally designed to evoke specific behaviors. Architects and designers make decisions about size, lighting, materials, activities, and more — all with the intent of shaping how people interact with the space and with each other.
The Power of Design
This realization — that spaces influence behavior — got me thinking about the broader implications. The environments we live in, from our homes to our cities, play a massive role in shaping who we are. Take a city, for instance: as urban dwellers, we’re influenced by the city’s "tapestry" — the homes we live in, the parks we visit, the streets we walk, and the businesses we engage with. The city defines our routines, our relationships, our passions, and ultimately, our worldview.
I’ve come to believe that environments can shape us in profound ways. In fact, when I see someone struggling in life, like a homeless person, I don’t judge their personal choices. Instead, I think about the environment they grew up in — the lack of a supportive family, a safe neighborhood, or a city designed to offer opportunities and foster growth. I wonder how different their life might be if their surroundings had been different.
The Power to Change
Realizing that our surroundings shape who we are is empowering. It shows us that we have the ability to shape our environments and, in doing so, shape our lives. Whether it’s our bedroom, our home, our neighborhood, or our city, the spaces we inhabit influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. This is why creating environments that nurture and inspire us can transform our lives — and society as a whole.
In many ways, I’m grateful to my parents for teaching me that a clean room gives a clear mind. But more importantly, I’m thankful for the insight that the spaces we live in are not just passive backdrops to our lives — they actively shape us. And with this understanding, we can start to design the environments that will help us thrive.
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