Controlled Space, Essay Example

A space that someone controls often reflects either who that individual is as a person or what the individual wants others to think of them. While a controlled space is typically thought to be an individual’s home, this could include any place where they expect privacy and tend to be themselves. Controlled spaces, therefore, may include, living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, a home or office desk, or a door to any important room. The items that are displayed often include trinkets that make the individual who owns the room happy or to please his or her guests. However, the meaning behind this item placement is dependent upon the individual. There are many people who place items in their personal spaces to impress others and there are those who ignore what others think of them and place items to make themselves comfortable.

One of the most meaningful controlled spaces that exists is an individual’s bedroom. For example, the state of cleanliness of one’s bedroom can inform a guest a lot about the person. Since we spend a majority of our night and part of our day in our bedroom, it is a personal space that is most likely to become a mess. While some individuals take great care to ensure the cleanliness of this space, others forgo this opportunity because they believe the mess will continue to grow. Furthermore, when some individuals believe this room is messy, they will not invite guests to come inside of it, while others believe that this cleanliness state is not problematic and will invite guests in anyway. Cleanliness and its impact on whether guests will be welcome is a clear indicator of personality. Those who are naturally organized and plan ahead are more likely to clean their room on a daily basis to ensure that they will appear tidy for the appearance of guests. In addition, this type of individual would be less likely to invite company over if this room was unorganized. As a consequence, this type of person is more likely to be deeply affected by what others think of them. On the other hand, an individual that has a messy room is likely unorganized, has very little free time, or simply finds comfort in the way that his or her belongings are kept. If people who keep their controlled space in this manner are ashamed of it, they are unlikely to invite others over and may have diminished social interactions as a consequence of the disorganization in their lives. However, people who have messy bedrooms and invite friends over regardless are showing that they are not concerned with others’ opinions of them and that their friends are more important than the state of their possessions.

While the state of cleanliness of a controlled space is essential in conveying a message to guests, the individual items that are displayed in the room are of equal importance. Broadly, some rooms are decorated while others are not. When individuals choose to decorate their personal spaces, they are doing so to either please themselves or their potential guests. The importance of this décor is often reliant upon the classification of the personal space. For example, placing decorations in a living room would be expected for individuals who have frequent company or spend a majority of their time in this area. Meanwhile, even these outgoing individuals would not be expected to decorate their car interiors because this would have minimal impact in comparison. However, decorated rooms indicate that the host is welcoming, expects to have guests over frequently, and enjoys being a host. In doing so, they are trying to create the best experience possible for their friends and family. Individual’s that do not take the same care to decorate their rooms may be less pleased to act as a host, and while they may enjoy spending time with others, they do not want to be the leader of the group that organizes meetings. It is also possible that these individuals feel more comfortable in small groups and guests that are invited over are done so one at a time and the only individuals that are invited are those who are very close to the invitee and do not mind the state of the room.

Aside from the general state of décor in a controlled space, the choice of décor is essential in determining what the owner wishes to communicate with his or her guests. For example, many young adults choose to decorate their bedrooms with artwork, with important collections, and functional items. The extent to which each of these are present in a room describes an individual. Many young adults who are collection enthusiasts continue to house their childhood collections in their rooms. These collections range from lego constructs to action figures and demonstrate that their childhood passions are still important to them. Those who only have functional items in their rooms do so to inform their guests that they should be taken seriously and don’t have time for unnecessary things in their lives. Individuals who decorate their rooms with artwork do so to make their guests feel more comfortable and to invite conversation regarding their favorite pieces.

While there are many reasons that individual’s choose to display items in their controlled living spaces, the item is placed in a manner that allows the guest to gain a greater understanding of their host. Ultimately, the objects we decide are valuable enough to be displayed for others to see are important to us and this importance reflects who we are as people. Different kinds of people have varying items in their controlled spaces which allow their guests to reflect on who their host truly is. This is the most effective form of communication because guests will be allowed to see if the daily life of their host is reflected by their words or whether the words they speak and the symbols of their life have contrasting meaning. In many cases, the items that a host displays for their guests will allow them to generate a better understanding of the person, whether good or bad. As a consequence, frequently only people that are well trusted or need to be sent a message are invited into the homes of a host.

While it is clear that guests can infer much information about their host from a visit to their controlled space, it is important for hosts to recognize that they have power over what this message is. If the host wishes to make a good impression, he or she should make an effort to expose items that reflect the interests of the guests. This will enable the development of meaningful conversations and the relationship between the guest and host will be able to grow more readily.