By Dr. Hami Lawton
I recently came across an article published by The Atlantic and written by David Dobbs, “The Science of Success.” Dobb makes reference to The Orchid Hypothesis, first theorised by Dr. Thomas Boyce, an emeritus professor of Paediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco. He writes, “Most of us have genes that make us as hardy as dandelions: able to take root and survive almost anywhere. A few of us, however, are more like the orchid: fragile and fickle, but capable of blooming spectacularly if given greenhouse care.” Susan Cain in her book, Quiet, also references Boyce’s theory. “The destinies of the most high-reactive kids are also influenced by the world around them - perhaps even more so than for the average child. This theory holds that many children are like dandelions, able to thrive in just about any environment. But others, including the high-reactive types, are more like orchids: they wilt easily, but under the right conditions can grow strong and magnificent.”
I wondered, if there are dandelion and orchid children, could this thinking be also applied to mothers? In the world of mothers, do there exist orchid mothers and dandelion mothers?
I think the answer is yes.
According to research, dandelion children are more psychologically resilient, seem completely unfazed by their surroundings and show a remarkable capacity for thriving in almost every environmental circumstance they encounter. In contrast, orchid children are heavily affected by their home environment (including both social and physical circumstances), are sensitive to their surroundings, are often introverted in nature, and they notice their environments and feel emotions and things more, “the reactivity of these kids’ nervous systems makes them quickly overwhelmed, but also able to benefit from a nurturing environment more than other children” (Cain). Common to both is the biological sensitivity to particular environmental contexts. From a scientific approach what is most intriguing is the gene-environment interactions of both orchid and dandelion children; certain genes interact with particular environments in different ways. We must acknowledge the interplay between genetics and environments.
What is perhaps most exciting about the genetic-environment relationship is the scientific underpinnings of our environmental experiences. Boyce’s theory sheds science-based light on the idea that genetically some people are not hardwired for certain environments and particular environmental conditions. The everyday environments that we encounter on a daily basis vary from person to person and differ depending on age and circumstance, but generally speaking, human beings can encounter the following types of environments on a daily basis; home, work, school (and daycare-based environments), social (for example, gyms, restaurants and cafes), and public environments (for example, banks and supermarkets). As human beings we interact and relate to the environments we encounter and the very nature of these environments deeply affect us physically, psychologically and physiologically. Boyce’s theory suggests that it is our genes (our genetic biological make-up), that deeply influences our ability to cope, connect, benefit, survive or thrive in particular environments. Depending on our genes, we can react more deeply, be more sensitive, simply survive or truly thrive in the environments we experience and dwell within.
If we take Boyce’s theory and cross-fertilise this into the field of interior architecture - we can focus on the environmental dimension, and more specifically, the physical dimension of the environment (acknowledging that there are many facets that need to be considered when considering the term “environment” including the economic, political, social and parenting dimensions of the environment). When we focus on the person-environment relationship (a common theoretical perspective within the field of interior design), we can see that like flowers, some humans are more impacted than others by their environment. This raises the question, how can we design the right kinds of environments for people with particular genes (for example those who carry the genes of orchid children), as it is these kinds of people that are more sensitive to — and more deeply impacted by — their environments.
If we agree that there are orchid mothers (just as there are orchid children), and if we understand orchid mothers just as orchid children are sensitive to their environments but under the right conditions and in more nurturing environments grow stronger and more magnificent, then we may start to question what types of environments do orchid mothers bloom best within?
Orchid mothers need stable, nurturing, predictable and supportive environments, designed and built around rituals and routines. There is research supporting the efficacy of family routines in reducing household chaos, encouraging a sense of stability and fostering good mental health. The sense of permanence and reliability that routines afford, provide orchid mothers with structure and stability. Orchid mothers need calm home environments which serve as a place of respite from the often too-loud, over-stimulating, overwhelming world; they need spaces which calm their nervous system. Orchid mothers, like orchid children, have a preference for environments that are not overstimulating and include spaces for solitude and quiet. Home environments that are low-sensory, low-stress environments (environments that limit external stressors), are the types of environments that orchid mothers parent best within. In these types of spatially supportive environments, orchid mothers will have lower stress levels, an increased sense of stability and a greater sense of wellbeing.
Why is it important to speculate on the existence of orchid mothers? Because orchid mothers - by their very genetic factors and personality traits - will wither or thrive based on their environment and more often than not, orchid mothers are mothering in a world that is designed for dandelions. We can - to varying degrees - design and create physical environments for mothers that value the type of sensitivities and vulnerabilities that orchid mothers possess. And in these right environments, orchid mothers don’t just survive, but rather, we give them the best possibility to thrive.