Mood and physical space | INFJ Forum

Mood and physical space

Discussion in 'Psychology and MBTI' started by Soulful, Jan 3, 2010.

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  1. Profoundly. Aesthetics are ESSENTIAL to my well-being.

    9 vote(s)
    20.0%
  2. I notice I usually need to be in certain environments to feel good and I feel bad in others.

    29 vote(s)
    64.4%
  3. Meh, sometimes, it's not really a big deal.

    5 vote(s)
    11.1%
  4. I guess it could be possible but I've never really noticed.

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%
  5. I've never thought about this. My environment is purely functional. My mood is unaffected by it.

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%
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  1. Soulful

    Soulful life is good

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    I'm curious about how the aesthetics of one's physical environment affect our mood and sense of self.



    Edit: Poll added.
     
    #1 Soulful, Jan 3, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2010
  2. Flavus Aquila

    Flavus Aquila Finding My Place in the Sun
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    Dense, lush, spongy, cool, damp pine forrests fill me with satisfaction at being alive.

    Brightly lit, crowded, noisy, hot, smelly public buildings fill me with destructive urges.



    As a general rule, in natural settings, the more healthy its state (relative to the environment, not necessarily relative to me), the more pleasing it is to me.

    Similarly, in artificial, or man-made environments, the closer they resemble or reproduce things from nature, the more pleasing to me.
     
  3. TinyBubbles

    TinyBubbles anarchist

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    Oh it matters a great deal. Anything other than a comfortable physical environment will distract you, and probably worsen your mood, if only slightly. It sounds arbitrary but making your immediate environment comfortable and relaxing will usually help towards improving your mood.
     
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  4. Faye

    Faye ^_^
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    Yes, I'm very sensitive to all of this. I don't like places with many people. I loathe being around cars and streets when I'm not in a car myself (there is no good way to avoid this). When I go outside, I usually take in and analyze the sky, weather, etc...

    I also hate strong smells, loud or annoying sounds, etc.

    I love being alone in nature. When I'm not in nature, I do have preferences for builds, color schemes, etc... that affect me, but it is far too complicated for me to really understand or explain.

    I will just say that one thing I really hate is when there are televisions everywhere. I was in an airport where they decided to put televisions everywhere, and it was terrible. You couldn't listen to music because the televisions and their commercials were too loud.
     
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  5. Nela

    Nela Community Member

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    The environment I'm in definitely affects my mood, very much even.

    Crowded places, noise, especially bright lights, are all very distracting and influence my mood directly. I'll even be hesitant entering a room that's very brightly lit, or get out of it as soon as possible.
     
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  6. randomsomeone

    randomsomeone Well-known member

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    I definitely have opinions about environment, too...it accounts for my amateur interest in interior spaces, architecture, and design. I have built a good bit of my own furnishings based on this and accounts for the concpicuously uncluttered state of my officce at work. For me all this has to do with the ability to generate, access and focus my creative energy, both for work and for play.
     
  7. laurie

    laurie Snowblind in Dreamland

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    Usually I am affected pretty easily by environment.
    A good example is the comparison of how I feel in the city areas (numb, anxious, sometimes unwell) to natural settings (more awake, peaceful and usually pretty happy).
    Home is home though, so it doesn't matter what it looks like as long as there are few disturbances and few non-family members. I do prefer it when the light's quite dim and warm-looking though, it makes me feel more comfortable.
    I get overwhelmed by bright lights, loud noises, crowds etc. because I'm apparently very highly sensitive, so I like to avoid those XD
     
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    #7 laurie, Jan 3, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2010
  8. gloomy-optimist

    gloomy-optimist Used to live here

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    I'm generally fairly good at detaching myself from my environment, but that's something I've taught myself out of necessity. However, some environments will affect my mood, and some environments will enhance an existing mood.
     
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  9. Gaze

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    Yeah, it does. i like nature, but wide open spaces - feel more free. If i'm around too much greenery, too many trees and mountains around, i tend to feel suffocated, or a sense of loneliness and isolation, and possibly depression. So, unfortunately, moods are affected by the physical environment. Not good, because ideally, you should able to function in any space comfortably.
     
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    #9 Gaze, Jan 3, 2010
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  10. Celsius100

    Celsius100 Community Member

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    I've noticed that I'm far more at ease in a less crowded area with a nice earthen tone between color and lights. That said, I can still enjoy myself a bit in an area that deviates away from that, unless it hits my absolute worst sort of environment.

    Throw me in an area with bright white walls, white ceiling tiles, and a light colored floor, and couple that with florescent tube lights. Come back a few minutes later, just see what has happened, haha. With surroundings like that, regardless of the number of other people around me, I definitely can sense a drastic and swift change. I'll get very anxious, very fidgety and temperamental, and at times have picked up on heavier breathing. I just can't do it. It literally stops me at a halt as far as any productive abilities go.

    In a slight contrast to my initial paragraph, something else that can cause (if nothing else) a sudden burst in mood and general ability is to put me into an area that's completely new or exciting to me. It may cause a bit of slight apprehension for a moment due to that tinge on unfamiliarity, but the excitement of taking something new in is close to being one of my favorite sensations I've felt.

    As a final note, if I'm given a focus and am working on something, oftentimes the environment around me begins to take a background seat, since I'll lose myself in whatever piece I'm focused on.
     
  11. nothingness

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    My mood is most definitely affected by the aesthetics of the environment. For example, I usually feel much better at night - though this may be due to my sleep cycle more than anything. However, there is something about the night that is almost relaxing. The weather holds a great deal of influence on my mood as well.

    In terms of rooms, I often find myself adjusting the lights in my room to get that "perfect" atmosphere. I, too, prefer dully-lit environments to loud and bright environments. However, if I am in an overly dull or dark room during a certain time of the day, I feel somewhat depressed and sluggish. This is doubly true if it's a cloudy day outside. The lighting has to be just right.
     
  12. Afrelen

    Afrelen Community Member

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    I don't "need" my environment to have certain characteristics in order to be in a good mood. They help, but they do not control. They do give me good/bad feelings, but my feelings do not solely determine my mood.
     
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    #12 Afrelen, Jan 4, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2010
  13. Lord Xephere

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    I have found that my moon changes in response to the aesthetics of the surrounding atmosphere.

    My ideal atmosphere: A quiet, peaceful, cool, cloudy and raining (I actually like the rain) evening in a wooded, area (similar to the pacific northwest)

    I would really like to live somewhere similar to the description above, but of course, the rain would get irritating after a while even though it is pretty calming to me.

    An atmosphere I would hate: a smelly, trashed, loud, area with old, run-down buildings with graffiti on them

    That would make me feel disgusted, and possibly scared for my life.
     
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  14. Outside

    Outside Regular Poster

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    I love the Northwest Lord Xephere.

    I really hate noisy environments. When I say noise I mean dirty kinds of vibes I get off people or situations, when things feel like they are at a standstill or unnecessary or uncontrollable clutter and such. It gets claustrophobic. I have dreams of ideal spaces. Sometimes they are architectural structures. Thats why I love high places like mountains or the tops of parking garages. You get so much space.
     
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  15. Raccoon Love

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    The environment affects my mood deeply, I can't stand noise or crowded places, I get overhwlemed, anxious and very uncomfortable, the atmosphere of the place, the mood, it all seems to have a direct impact on me.
     
  16. 54192&#cmy

    54192&#cmy Outta Here.
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    I need open space to dream...
    [​IMG]
    Without it I am grumpy. I plan on getting more of my energy back this year by being outside in nature.
     
  17. Crow

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    I seriously need peace and quiet.
    Without it I am unable to be what I am.
    I end up being someone who reacts to what is upsetting me.
    But I am - at least - aware of that.
     
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  18. acd

    acd Well-known member

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    I am accostomed to crowds, and chaos, and noise, and filth and discomfort. I do not become uncomfortable easily, and I do not find myself bored easily. Given a choice, I'd rather solitude and the outdoors. But I can adapt to anything.
     
  19. bamf

    bamf Is Watching You
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    I'm telling you, we have to make that 'back to the basics' commune in the woods, and soon.
     
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  20. acd

    acd Well-known member

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    It is certainly one of my favorite ideas..
     
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