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Daniel_Burfoot comments on Military Rationalities and Irrationalities - Less Wrong Discussion

21 Post author: pscheyer 09 September 2013 11:48PM

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Tags: organizations habit agency function executive military metastable

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Comment author: Daniel_Burfoot 10 September 2013 05:16:34PM 14 points [-]

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.

Comment author: TheOtherDave 10 September 2013 06:12:01PM 13 points [-]

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.

Comment author: hyporational 10 September 2013 08:12:44PM 5 points [-]

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?

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