The Messy Office Defense
The Messy Office Defense An Anticipated Critique Response The Understanding My wife and I have had many conversations about my office. We have an understanding: It’s her house. It’s my office. And she’s worth more than all of it. The Company We Keep If you’ve seen the Founder’s Office One-Take video and wondered about the clutter, here’s some context: Scientists and Innovators Person Known For Desk Status Albert Einstein Theory of Relativity Famously cluttered. Said: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Thomas Edison 1,093 patents Cluttered desk from constant experimentation Isaac Newton Laws of Motion, Calculus Notoriously messy desk Alan Turing Computer Science, Codebreaking Messy desk linked to innovative problem-solving Alexander Fleming Discovered Penicillin Messy workspace where important discoveries occurred Max Levchin Co-founded PayPal Notably messy desk Writers and Artists Person Known For Workspace Mark Twain American Literature Worked surrounded by papers and books Francis Bacon Painting Chaotic studio with scattered supplies Toni Morrison Nobel Prize in Literature Known for messy room/desk Doris Lessing Nobel Prize in Literature Noted for messy workspace Roberto Bolaño Chilean Literature Desk piled with correspondence Business Leaders Person Known For Office Style Steve Jobs Apple Cluttered with prototypes and projects Tony Hsieh Zappos Extremely chaotic desk reflecting unique style The Research A 2013 University of Minnesota study found that messy environments actually promote creative thinking. ...