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You can’t deny the soothing feeling that an organized image brings. According to physicist Alan Lightman, it represents order, something we all inherently crave.
As he wrote in his book The Accidental Universe: The World You Thought You Knew, the emotional pleasure we get from our search for symmetry helps us make sense of the world around us.
Lightman went on to compare our innate satisfaction with symmetry to the enjoyment we feel in the repetition of seasons and the reliability of friendships. As he noted, symmetry is economy, simplicity, and elegance.
"The architecture of our brains was born from the same trial and error, the same energy principles, the same pure mathematics that happens in flowers and jellyfish and Higgs particles," Lightman wrote.
However, there is also such a thing as symmetry OCD. Simply put, it’s having feelings of distress upon seeing objects that are not symmetrical, even if there is no logic behind it.
According to Healthline, it may manifest through strong urges to align things that are perceived as “crooked,” discomfort and anxiety when something “feels off,” and intrusive thoughts about spatial arrangements and shapes, among other symptoms.
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Since this type of condition often involves compulsions, symmetry OCD could involve tapping things an equal number of times, stepping or walking in specific patterns, or even mentally redoing tasks that would make the person feel like they are creating a “sense of balance.”
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Knolling is perceived as another manifestation of symmetry OCD. Recognized treatment methods, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exposure and response prevention (ERP), and medication, are used if the condition becomes disruptive to daily life.
But if it is at a manageable level, knolling could be an effective outlet. At the very least, you get to create something visually appealing in the process.
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