The Diderot Effect

The Diderot Effect is a theory about how obtaining a new possession can cause us to spiral in our consumption, leading us to acquire more and more new things. In other words, buying something new leads you to buy other new things to match it.

The original story was written by the French Philosopher, Denis Diderot, in his 1769 essay, “Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown". The story goes that Diderot got a new, beautiful, scarlet dressing gown as a gift.  Enamored with it, he immediately discarded his old dressing-gown; it was no longer worthy of him.

He became obsessed with the new gown. It was so glamorous that he felt that when he sat on his current straw chair dressed in it, the chair looked poor; so, he replaced his chair with an armchair covered with Moroccan leather. Next, he noticed that the gown and the armchair did not fit with his current table; so, he replaced his table with a more expensive one. Diderot went on replacing all the items he owned in this way and now found himself having to buy suitable tapestries, rugs and art pieces to rebalance the look of his home.

He soon found himself lamenting, “I was the absolute master of my old robe. I have become the slave of the new one.” His over-consumption had led him to debt.

While Diderot’s story may seem unbelievable, we often ourselves act similarly without noticing it. You may, for instance, buy a new tv and end up having to upgrade more aspects of your living room. Or, you buy new shoes (“new shoes, who dis?”) and have to upgrade your wardrobe to match them. Someone buys you a step counter and you buy new sneakers, sports bras, knee supports, headbands and all the athletic stuff you can find (even though you currently don’t work out). The examples are endless.

So, how can you ensure you don’t fall victim to the Diderot Effect? Here are some tips:

·         Reduce exposure to your triggers. If, say, being on Instagram, often leads you to buy things you don’t need, limit your time on there or at least note when you know you are purchasing only because you have seen an advert.

·         Set spending limits. Operate strictly on your budget. If your clothing budget has been reached for the month, don’t buy more clothes no matter how tempting it may be to do so. Believe it or not, if you really need it, it will likely still be available next month.

·         Buy stuff that fits in with your current lifestyle. Don’t upgrade your life too suddenly. For example, will buying that new phone mean you will probably have to upgrade your laptop for compatibility? Do you need a new laptop? If you don’t, you don’t need the phone either.

·         Try having a “dry” month. This is a month where you buy absolutely no new consumer items. That means no new clothes, no new shoes, no new gadgets. It sounds difficult to do, but once you’ve tried it, you may realize how excessive your current spending habits have been.

In short, to control the Diderot Effect in your life, act intentionally, in moderation and with much consideration.

More importantly, learn to appreciate the things you currently have. To quote Diderot, mournful of the loss of his old robe,” Why didn’t I keep it? It was used to me and I was used to it…The other one is stiff, and starchy, makes me look stodgy…I now have the air of a rich good for nothing. No one knows who I am.”

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