The Diderot Effect
The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption which leads you to acquire more new things. As a result, we end up buying things our previous selves never needed to feel happy or fulfilled. ~Grant McCracken
Denis Diderot was a well known 18th century french writer and philosopher and co-founder of the Encyclopédie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of the time.
Diderot was very poor but well known in the french community. His daughter was about to get married and he could not afford a dowry. Catherine the Great, emperor of Russia, heard of his plight and offered to buy Diderot’s library, which in turn made him a very wealthy man. This is when things went south so to speak, so the story starts with a beautiful scarlet robe. This robe was so beautiful, that he began to notice how out of place it was in comparison to the rest of his possessions. The words from the philosopher “No more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty”. Diderot soon found himself buying new items to match the beauty of his robe. The new robe made him look out of place at his desk so he went and purchased a new desk, which made the rug look out of place, so he went and purchased a new rug, so do you see where this is headed? This new attitude plunged him into debt very fast.
The introduction of a new possession into a consumers existence will often result in a process of spiraling consumption.
Joshua Becker
I read this article that explained the Diderot effect and I was stunned as this just recently happened to me. My husband and I were getting ready for a week long vacation and I was so very excited and began to shop for our trip. I purchased a dress and that was the start of a spiral. The dress was adorable but it made my shoes look old, which made my jewelry look old, which made my purse look old. Then an old familiar friend began to whisper in my ear, “you won’t fit in, you will look stupid, you won’t measure up”. Then it continued, I now needed shorts, shirts, and make-up. I did purchase most of those things, and when on vacation I didn’t even wear half of what I bought. If I would’ve stumbled onto this article a few weeks earlier I might have been able to stop my over consumption, but instead fell head first into the Diderot zone.
Recognize the effect
- Purchase a new couch and you begin to question your end tables, rug, lamps, wall hangings.
- Buy a yoga package and soon you feel you need impressive new yoga clothes, mats, water bottles.
- Get a new tablet and you instantly need expensive cover and new charging cord.
- Your child makes the travel softball team and now you need matching athletic bags, practice gear, private coaches.
Humans have a natural inclination to always strive for more no matter what the cost. It is hard for us to downgrade, simplify, or reduce, but here are some ideas that may help us all.
- Limit your exposure. The quickest way to reduce the Diderot effect is to not fall into the triggers that set us off or the habits that catch us all. Instead of going to the mall to meet friends, head to the park or local coffee shop and avoid all that compels us to buy. Unsubscribe to commercial emails and cancel our catalogs so the temptations are not everywhere you look.
- Create limits and boundaries with your time and income, as to not overspend and have control over your money instead of it having control over you.
- Conscious buying. Try a week of no new items and if you succeed add another week until you have gone an entire month without one new thing in your life. The more we set boundaries the more resourceful we become.
- Give. Every time you purchase something new try, to give something away. A giving heart is always in fashion.
To break this cycle you have to understand this principle and begin to apply it to your daily lives.
“are these things really better than the things I already have? Or am I just trained to be dissatisfied with what I have now? Am I just under a spell that says nothing is ever good enough?” ~ Chuck Palahniuk
Making of a Minimalist 