I like my space to be messy but I cannot emotionally handle a dirty space. It reflects my mental health when I’m willing to put up with it, and it causes my mental health to sink. I will keep tons of clutter and never put dishes away when I am in physical pain but actual dirt is a big red flag for me in my own behavior.
It’s so frustrating to encounter grownups, usually men, who are comfortable living in actual squalor.