If one can keep all the same things, display all the same behaviors, without descending into dysfunction and purported "pathology" -
Simply depending on any combination of -
* knowledge
* resources
* favorable circumstances
One wonders, where is the "mental illness" of "hoarding" claimed by the "experts" ?
Let's imagine 2 persons, otherwise identical - call them A and B - having the exact same resources and same patterns of acquisition and keeping, they equally "refuse" to discard ( which as we demonstrated, means absolutely nothing in itself, since one can keep anything for any reason and one doesn't owe any explanation to anyone, not even to oneself )..
But, person A has knowledge of organizing, of a framework like this, they get an ample amount of space and zillions of containers, and they pull it off, whereupon they enjoy a comfortable and satisfying life with all their possessions, or as much as they wish to keep, intact.
Person B lacks those, and ends up in dysfunction, whereupon they get diagnosed by well-meaning but clueless practitioners, none of the participants having insight or awareness of a framework like this or the organizing methods.
One could apply this pattern by varying any relevant parameters - financial, real estate, abusive relationship.. inevitably arriving at the same conclusions..
Question - what is the differential here.. is it.. Knowledge + Resources + Environment ?
Is it a "mental illness" of.. being too poor and too cornered and insufficiently aware ? ( As the "experts" mused themselves - poor people might be more prone to "hoarding" - but how is it a *mental* illness ? )
Or is it a "mental illness" of.. not conforming - to the expectations of discarding by others / the majority / the experts ?
All of these ?
Where have we seen this before, where thinking differently, not conforming, get labelled as a "mental illness" ?
Oh, all throughout history, say..