Colorful Clips and Analytical Thinking

Recently, I witnessed a curious episode: a friend of mine, convinced she was a very tidy person, had decided to reorganize her kitchen. She does this periodically. She reorganizes the closets, the kitchen, the garage. Every now and then, driven by an organizing impulse — or perhaps just by a certain inner restlessness — she empties the cabinets and puts everything back "in order."

This time, it was the kitchen’s turn. Bags neatly sealed with colorful clips, stacked packages, jars moved around, perhaps a few added labels. At first glance, everything seemed to be in place.

And yet, when she invited me over for dinner and I offered to help her cook, it took just one attempt to find a simple package of penne to realize that something wasn’t quite right in her order.

Items were crammed together; some tall bags blocked the view of the shorter ones; certain foods ended up behind others with no apparent logic. Every time we needed something, we had to pull out half the cupboard. A system that, although “aesthetically ordered,” was not functional at all.

The fact that this reordering scene kept repeating itself without tangible results made me realize that her urge for external order was perhaps an attempt to quiet something inside — without truly succeeding.

The Connection Between External and Mental Order

This seemingly trivial episode sparked a deeper reflection: how much does external order reflect (or hide) our internal one? And more importantly: what kind of order are we actually creating in our lives?

There are people, like myself, who try to organize everything logically: dividing, grouping by function, usage, frequency. Putting tall items in the back, shorter ones in the front. Making sure everything is visible, accessible, coherent. It’s not just about aesthetics — it’s efficiency.

It’s logical thinking applied to reality.

Others, like my friend, tend to tidy up out of impulse or habit. They do it to feel better about themselves, but they don’t truly know how to create real order. Their system — if it can be called that — is based on emotion and external signs: colorful clips, jars bought at the market (perhaps large and clunky and out of place) — but lacks a true logical structure. Order becomes nothing more than a colorful mask covering chaos.

And This Is Where Analytical Thinking Comes Into Play

Analytical thinking is the ability to distinguish, separate, classify. It’s the skill of breaking down complex things, seeing connections, building a map.

Curious to learn more, I did some research, and it turns out that those with analytical thinking tend to organize the world — and themselves — according to functional criteria. Those who don’t have it, or haven’t developed it, tend to mix everything: emotions and facts, past and present, causes and effects. And often, they confuse aesthetics with logic.

The inability to organize physical objects sensibly often reflects the inability to analyze a problem, see the core of an issue, or follow a line of thought through to the end. It’s as if their mind lacks labels, drawers, or shelves to support ideas. People without mental structure don’t rely on logic in their decisions — they follow their emotions, like a leaf on a tree tossed by the wind.

Can Analytical Thinking Be Trained?

One might wonder if this kind of thinking is innate. In part, yes. Some people naturally tend to mentally organize things. But the good news is: it can be developed.

It’s no coincidence that many people who excelled in math or science when they were young often show greater ability to analyze, structure, and connect concepts even in daily life. Math, after all, is a constant exercise in order, abstraction, and logic.

Those who have always avoided solving problems or cracking equations often find themselves tangled in thoughts, with an inner world lacking structure.

Analytical thinking can be learned — but it must be practiced. And not necessarily through numbers. Even organizing a pantry intelligently can be a great place to start.

You can train yourself to look at things with a critical eye, asking: "Why am I putting this here?" "Do I really need it?" "Will I use it?"

Simple questions, perhaps, but they trigger a precious mental mechanism: logical analysis.

Training analytical thinking means creating order in the mind. It means not living only by emotion, following empty symbols — like a clip sealing a bag that already has a built-in closure — and starting to choose what truly makes sense, both in your space and in your life.

In some cultures, much importance is given to order: they say that the state of your desk, closet, and kitchen reflects your state of mind. Some suggest cleaning your windows to let new things in, or throwing out old items to make room for change.

Because true order is never what you see — it’s what you feel: when everything has a place, every thought a direction, and every action a purpose.

Everything else, no matter how colorful, is just a well-clipped illusion.

Understanding the difference between apparent and real order is just the first step. The second, more powerful one, is to start creating functional and logical order in your physical space — and, as a result, in your mind.

Since I love practical solutions, I’ve written another article with concrete tips to help you turn every act of tidying into a mental exercise. Because analytical thinking isn’t born from theory — it’s built through daily experience, one decision at a time.

Find out whether you’re already putting these patterns into practice without even realizing it — or whether it’s time to start doing so with intention.

#analyticalthinking, #mentalclarity, #homeorganization, #decluttering, #mindfulorder, #organizedmind, #emotionalclutter, #logicvschaos, #everydaypsychology, #lifestructure, #tidymindtidylife, #hiddenchaos, #dailyawareness, #functionalorder, #houseasreflection