Some people never seem to be satisfied with the status quo. They are constantly seeking change of one kind or another.

The most common example of such apparent dissatisfaction is usually attributed to women because they are constantly rearranging rooms; and some even carry the makeover concept to include a drastic rearrangement of their appearances. (And please, before you go ballistic over the unfairness and inaccuracy of such obvious gender bias, we are aware that men are guilty of this annoying habit as well.)

It is important to keep in mind that the operative word is "some" members of both genders feel compelled to change things up. But why do they do it?

With all that activity, people might jump to the easy conclusion that such furniture movers suffer from ADD, or more precisely, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Since they cannot sit still, shoving furniture around a room or even the entire house may appeal to their need to keep moving.

Or perhaps they are unhappy and, for them, reshuffling their belongings offers the same comfort that binge eating offers to other discontented souls.

Possibly, the most obvious reason may be pure discontentment with how a room looks and they are simply trying to fix the problem. Their actions resemble the behavior of gamblers who continue to gamble even when they are losing because they keep hoping that their luck will change. In the same way, the furniture shifters are certain that the next arrangement will be the ideal they seek to attain.

All this talk about moving furniture reminds me of the time my mother decided to rearrange the master bedroom while my father was away on business. He was a creature of habit and inattentive to mundane matters, such as furniture placement. So for several nights following his return, father managed to bang up his shins and toes while getting reacquainted with those relocated pieces of furniture.

Looking at this concept on a larger scale, companies set up their offices and work areas, and then everything stays pretty much the same for longer than most people stay at one job. However, the phrase "different strokes for different folks" is tailor made for companies blessed with folks who appear to be afflicted with restless workspace syndrome.

New offices and/or cubicles are scarcely built and furnished, and before long the restlessness kicks in. As a result, cubicles are constantly reconfigured. Offices are moved from one floor to another and from one end of the building to the other.

Aside from the aggravation of the constant turmoil, there is a plus side and a certain entertainment value to all that activity. The contractors are making a living; and displaced employees can look forward to eventually working on every floor and in every nook and cranny of the building.

In essence, one could regard all that shifting around as a workplace interpretation of the Star Trek mission statement. Employees will boldly or forcibly go where someone else has gone before, and others will probably follow.

Part of remodeling may include a certain amount of wall and other structural reconfigurations. Such changes can lead to confusion on the part of even the most plebeian and firmly rooted among us.

For example, in order to re-direct traffic flow and for privacy reasons, a formerly well-used opening was walled up.

The other day, we found a dazed lady staring at the new wall. "Wasn't there a doorway here?" she asked with a catch in her voice.

Feeling particularly impish, we replied, "A door? No. There was never a door here."

Although the redo looked fine, no one took into consideration the confusion of employees and visitors alike, when they looked for the door that was no longer there.

But then, such workplace restless syndrome activity could just be an elaborate chess game, business style.

Elizabeth is a freelance writer and former Norman resident. E-mail her at Elizabeth@elizabethcowan.com.