通过在一个领域（即物理环境）创造秩序来减少另一领域（即我们的大脑）混乱的奇妙之处在于，它甚至与摆脱我们脑海中声音的特定问题没有任何关系。这就是为什么给环境强加秩序如此有用——这么做总是很容易的。将此付诸实践的价值令人印象深刻。比如，一个实验表明，仅仅阅读把世界描述为有序之地的内容就能减少焦虑。不出所料，研究表明，生活在贫民社区的人——比如芝加哥的罗伯特·泰勒公寓，也可能是苏珊娜·博特在伊拉克工作过的地区——更容易抑郁，部分是因为他们感知到了周围环境的混乱。
在当代文化中，许多人将过度频繁地规范周围环境的尝试视为一种病态。想想那些有强迫症的人吧，他们有把事情安排得井然有序的强烈动机。这项关于补偿控制的研究表明，这些人可能只是把为了获得控制感而在周围建立秩序的强烈愿望升至极端。即使缺乏约束，他们的行为也有逻辑可循。
强迫症之所以成为一种有害的心理障碍，是因为患者对环境秩序的过度需求干扰了他们正常的日常生活。同样，对秩序的需求也会让我们在更大的社交环境中失去控制。只要看看最近在网上泛滥的阴谋论就知道了，其中混乱和动荡的事件都被归因于邪恶势力的神秘（和有序）的计划。在这种情况下，人们通过叙事机制获取秩序，但往往会损害他人（毕竟，阴谋通常是假的，并且建立在缺乏证据的基础上）。
关于我们对秩序的需求，以及大自然和敬畏感的有益之处的研究清楚地表明我们的物理环境与思想交织得多么紧密。它们是同一条挂毯的一部分。我们根植于物理空间中，这些空间的不同特征会激活我们内在的心理力量，影响我们的思考和感受。现在我们不仅知道了自己为什么会被周围环境的不同特征吸引，也知道了该如何主动做出选择，才能获益更多。
2007年，罗伯特·泰勒公寓的最后一处住宅被拆除。这里的所有居民早就搬走了，这个曾是城市衰败、种族隔离和社会混乱著名象征的地方，将会被开发成一个由混合收入家庭、零售和社区空间组成的新型综合体。这样一种积极有序的转变可能会让那些还记得这里曾经是犯罪和暴力之家的人心生敬畏。
虽然我们并不确定新建筑是否会以利于居民健康的方式将绿色空间融入设计，但最初的综合体留下的遗产仍然在芝加哥城市史和科学史中回荡。这个经久不衰的案例不仅说明了环境在塑造我们思想、感受和行为方面发挥了怎样的关键作用，也证明了从自身利益出发积极控制环境的重要性。
虽然环境有这么大的力量，但我们并不仅仅从它和填满它的事物中获得心理上的解脱。正如我们看到的有必要实施的控制一样，我们身处的环境之中还有一些特定的事情可以帮助我们驾驭脑海中的声音，但像纳达尔那样赋予其秩序只是个开端。我们使用的方法经常那么奇怪，效果又如此强烈，以至于它几乎像魔法一样神奇。
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