TED Conversations

Chris Orwa

Software Developer,

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Does the amount of space available to us affect our thinking

It is an obvious observation that middle class children from suburban dwellings have a high success rate in life compared to children from high population low income area. Could the space available for them to play and experiment be a major contributing factor?

Reference
The Psychology of Personal Space
http://blackorwa.wordpress.com/2012/09/03/the-psychology-of-personal-space/

Topics: Behavioral psychology
+1
Share:
progress indicator
  • thumb

    Chris Orwa

    • +1
    Jan 1 2013: Hi, Greg, I'm familiar with the philosophy that constraints drive creativity but even in Schwartz TED talk 'The Paradox of Choice' he reiterates that Less is More but only in certain circumstances where the fundamentals are provided. Otherwise less is less.

  • greg dahlen 20+

    • 0
    Dec 31 2012: Chris, I think crowded conditions could inspire creativity because you would have a lot of interaction, dialogue, sociability.

    One problem that might arise in crowded conditions is noise. I lived in a neighborhood that was extremely crowded, and my neighbors tended to play recorded music a lot, in this particular case Hispanic music as I was living in a part of Los Angeles with many Hispanic people. The constant noise made it hard to think and perform, and I was constantly fighting with my neighbors asking them to turn off the music.
  • thumb

    Chris Orwa

    • 0
    Dec 30 2012: Most successful entrepreneurs in the creative and tech industry come from the middle class. Perhaps its the freedom ( personal space) to experiment that led to the zeal. Contrast a child growing in a house of six siblings sharing bedroom, computers e.t.c to a house of two siblings each having their own bedroom and computer, they are bound to do more and discover more. The solitude is also rife for contemplative thoughts that lead to entrepreneurship.

  • Same AsIs

    • +1
    Dec 30 2012: Space? Low income does not relate to space, if anything they have more space. Success rate? People are conditioned to their environment as are the others. Define success rate? I believe your attempting to compare apples and oranges, a world of wants (middle class) cannot be compared to a world of need (low income)...so define success for these two separate categories and you will have your answer.

  • Barry Palmer 50+

    • +3
    Dec 26 2012: Yes. EVERY resource available to us affects our thinking. Everything we experience in our environment affects our thinking. Everything we think affects how we experience our environment. We are complicated.

  • greg dahlen 20+

    • 0
    Dec 26 2012: I would tend to think it's more the values middle-class parents encourage in their children, working hard in school, doing chores at home, not using intoxicants like drugs, cigarettes, and alcohol.
    • thumb

      Chris Orwa

      • 0
      Dec 26 2012: While that is true, child have a personal space wll tend to start their bedrooom laboratories, bedroom office, bedroom garage et al. This enhances their creativity and freedom of thought, factors absent in crowded hkmes and neighbourhoods.
Showing all 7 comments