The Connections Bridgewater-Somerville Edition April/May 2026

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MIND THE MIND Trash Talk What Does Your Garbage Reveal About You? By Dr. Michael Osit I

vironmental conscience and value for the environment. Do you use an abundance of materials that are single use (e.g. paper plates), ecologically unhealthy, or harmful to the environment? Diet and Health The food you throw away says a lot about your dietary habits. Does your food garbage consist of orange peels, vegetable leftovers, and seafood/crustacean shells? Or does it contain a lot of processed foods, foods from take-out, or half-eaten food? The answers to these questions reveal how often you cook, how healthy you eat, and if you are wasteful. Personal Information and Finances Your trash can contain sensitive financial records such as bank statements, social se The fact is that your trash is a mirror and a win dow that reveals intimate information about your personality, behavioral habits, consumption hab its, dietary habits, social behavior, financial status, and more.

curity numbers, and other identifying infor mation that would be of interest to nefarious individuals. But it is also an indication of your economic and social status. Discarded packaging reveals what you are spending on items, whether they are an expensive brand name vs. generics. Are you wasteful in toss ing usable or even sellable items? Your val ue for money, as well as your socio-econom ic status are divulged by your trash. It might be interesting for you to take some time one day to peruse your trash. Then again, if you did, doesn’t that say something about your need to further understand yourself? Dr. Michael Osit is a Clinical Psychologist, Clinical Director and owner of Watchung Psychological Associates in Warren, NJ. He is also the author of Generation Text: Raising Well Adjusted Kids In An Age Of Instant Everything and The Train Keeps Leaving Without Me: A Guide To Happiness, Freedom, and Self-Fulfillment .

f you have been following this col umn for the past 20 years, you might find this topic whimsical, or not useful or unin teresting. But I know you will continue to read because our garbage is intriguing. Per haps your trash revealing much about you is something you never thought of before. The field of Psychology often overlaps or inter sects with other sciences, such as Anthropol ogy, Sociology, and Neurology. Well, it also overlaps with the science of “Garbology.” The fact is that your trash is a mirror and a window that reveals intimate information about your personality, behavioral habits, consumption habits, dietary habits, social behavior, financial status, and more. Personality and Behavioral Patterns How organized or disorganized is your trash? The way you discard items in your home can reveal how impulsive you are,

how careful you are, how meticulous you are, or if you are excessive or frugal with your possessions, and even with your emo tions. Do you toss partially used items? Are you somewhat obsessive about discarding date limited items or do you disregard “best used by” dates? That could be indicative of whether or not you are a rule follower or not. Quality of Life and Social Life The contents of your garbage can make a statement about your social life. How often do you entertain in your home. How much alcohol do you consume? How often do you cook meals at home versus take out? The ab sence of “food” trash can be indicative as to how often you dine out. Environmental Awareness and Value Your degree of how much and what ma terials you recycle can speak to your en

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