Everyone prefers a clean and tidy place to a filthy one. However, no place can be clean by itself. Dust piles up silently even though nobody brings it in, and trash is left from whatever we do. That’s why we clean. Throwing away, wiping down, and organizing . . . Cleaning does not seem so important, but the power of cleaning is even more amazing than we think.
Broken Window Theory
After we clean up, we feel refreshed though tired a bit. In fact, cleaning can affect not only our mood but also our mind and behavior. This is proven true by the “Broken Window Theory.”
Philip Zimbardo, an American psychologist, conducted an experiment: He put two cars with the same condition in an unsafe street. He left the hood of the cars open, and had the window of one of them broken. Then he kept his eyes on the cars. Just within ten minutes, the car with broken window was stripped of its battery, tires and other parts; and soon it was covered with graffiti, got dismantled and ultimately turned into a piece of junk. On the contrary, the car with unbroken window remained in its original state.
This Broken Window Theory plainly shows people’s unconscious mind to treat dirty-looking things more carelessly and try to keep the clean ones more carefully.
It is all thanks to the graffiti removal project that the subways of the New York City, a hotbed of over six hundred thousand violent crimes in the 1980’s, have won recognition for its safety from citizens today. Although some people insisted that they should put more effort in preventing crime during the time taken to erase such trivial graffiti, the removal of graffiti was carried out over all the tagged subway cars for five years in accordance with the opinion that uncleanness caused by graffiti attracts violent crimes, as proven by the Broken Window Theory. The effect was incredible. Crime rates gradually decreased, and dropped by 80% in three years.
It was the same in Japan. As a cleaning volunteer organization regularly cleaned an amusement quarter, social order got better, needless to say that the street became clean. We can easily observe the Broken Window Theory around our residential areas or in the streets; we often find an electricity pole around which trash piles up all the time, even though it is not a designated place to put trash bags; when someone tosses a piece of trash there, people begin to throw rubbish without hesitation and finally trash piles high.
Just as a trivial thing like graffiti or trash influences people and society this much, our small efforts to keep our streets and public places clean will generate a significant positive impact.
The way of cleaning that brings success and happiness
Many important figures in Japanese politics and economics came from the Matsushita Institute of Government and Management. The Matsushita Institute is an educational institute that the late Konosuke Matsushita, who was called the “genius of management,” established to raise the best brains in government and management. The Institute daily schedule always starts with cleaning. One day, a student asked Konosuke why he had to clean. He answered, “How can a man, who doesn’t clean around him, clean his country and the world?” Every general cleaning day, he checked if every nook of the restroom was cleaned well in his factory as well as in the Institute; if he found something dirty, he himself cleaned it.
Many Japanese companies are learning his “Cleaning Management Philosophy.” A female CEO of a human resources development group started to clean the restrooms used by all the employees with her bare hands, when the group’s total sales were sluggish. While cleaning with her naked hands, she learned gratitude, humility and serving attitude, and came to converse with her employees heart to heart. By this, the group’s turnover rate reduced. Along with her, her employees also cleaned first before starting their work every day in the morning. They said that they were able to work joyfully all day as they started each day by cleaning and work more efficiently after arranging their desks. This company improved by doubling their sales after cleaning, and is still growing continuously.
Considering the facts stated above, it is undeniable that cleaning has the power to bring pleasure to individuals and success to businesses. However, it doesn’t mean we should be obsessed with being too clean like fastidiousness people or clean compulsively. Most people try to avoid something dirty if possible, and feel annoyed about cleaning; cleaning must be one of troublesome chores.
Those who achieve success have a golden rule: “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” This golden rule is applied to cleaning as well. Cleaning experts advise us to clean with joy, not only for our own sake but also for the sake of others. This is the kind of cleaning that brings happiness to you and others as well.
The beauty of throwing away
“In order to solve your problems in life, organize your workbox first,” said Thomas Carlyle, a Scottish satirical writer.
In fact, when we have a difficult problem, it is also hard for us to clean. On the other hand, we can think that by cleaning up the mess, we may be able to put in order our complicated thoughts and disturbed hearts. Besides, if we are in a mess, we may lack concentration and cannot work efficiently; we do not know where things are, and come to waste our precious time looking for them.
If we want to organize things well, we should be good at throwing away. The remarkable characteristic of the place which needs to be cleaned is that unnecessary things are kept. Organizing experts, who are famous both at home and abroad, say with emphasis, “Throw away all unwanted or unused stuff.” When we unhesitatingly get rid of unnecessary things placed here and there in our rooms, they will be neatly organized. To boldly remove the things we have been reluctant to give up is the secret to start cleaning easily and the way to clean up our complicated minds as well.
Another key point is to clean frequently. Let us suppose that there are three people as follows: one cleans once a year, another once a month, and the other once a day. Whose home will be clean the most? Of course, every home may be the same immediately after it is cleaned, but undoubtedly it is the home being cleaned frequently that maintains cleanness.
Some grumble, “Even though I clean my home, it becomes messy soon.” So, they delay cleaning their place, thinking, ‘It will be messy again,’ while trash and dust are piling up. When we stop cleaning because it feels tiresome right now, it will require more effort and labor. Even though cleaning is tiresome, frequent cleaning helps maintain cleanness in our home and it ultimately saves us the trouble. Let us remember that the best way of cleaning is to throw away unnecessary stuff without hesitation and to clean frequently.
Cleaning our soul
Clean environment and surroundings are important, but it is our soul that needs to be clean above all else.
“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him; for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” 1Co 3:16–17
We are already made clean from all sins and impurities through baptism and the Passover of the new covenant (1 Pe 3:21; Mt 26:17–28). However, since we are living in this world, spiritual dust such as empty dreams, evil words and worldly desires may pile up in our clean soul knowingly or unknowingly, and unnecessary stuff like complaint and hatred continuously comes in. If we don’t get rid of all that stuff at the proper time, we may forget what blessings and talents we have received from God and envy the blessings of others, and finally keep on complaining.
One of the key points in cleaning is to throw unnecessary things away frequently. We should examine ourselves every moment to see if our soul is filled with complaint or if we still follow our former way of life without getting rid of the old yeast like thick dust. In addition, we should throw away things unnecessary for the happiness and salvation of our souls. If a little hatred, vanity and complaint gradually pile up in our hearts, we come to defile our souls and give in to the temptations of Satan in the end.
“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Eph 4:26–27
In order to keep our souls clean, we should continuously study the word of God and put it into practice (Ps 119:9–10; Eph 5:26–27). In addition, we should fully obey the Teachings of Mother given as the commandments of love in this age. The Teachings of Mother, which contain the virtues of giving love, serving and self-sacrifice, are the way to keep our souls clean and make everyone happy.
The life of Christ was the path of sacrifice for the salvation of His children. Let us live not only for ourselves but for the sake of others, thinking about what pleases God and what benefits our brothers and sisters, just as our Father and Mother set the examples of sacrifice for us.
‘How can I help my brothers and sisters be more blessed?’
‘How can I save more souls?’
When we are filled with these thoughts, our mind will be cleared and full of thankfulness. Only then will we be able to carefully reflect on what blessings we have received from God and use our talents to the fullest.
The new year has begun. We are called to be the light to shine in the dark world and the salt to purify the world. Let’s open wide the window of our heart first, sweep the accumulated dust away, and wash our spiritual dirt away through prayer and thankfulness. Then let us vigorously start this year when God’s amazing blessings await us.
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Th 5:16–23