Do You Suffer from Symptoms of the Diderot Effect?Wait…what effect? Is this a severe illness? No, you are not sick. You are just fine! Let’s go back in time for a bit of a history lesson. Brief History LessonThere was a French philosopher named Denis Diderot who lived nearly his entire life in poverty. His daughter was to be married, and he could not afford to pay for the wedding. However, that changed one day in 1765. Even though he did not have wealth, Diderot was well known for his role as the co-founder and writer of Encyclopédie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of the time. When Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, heard of Diderot’s financial troubles, she felt sorry for him. As an avid book lover, she immensely enjoyed his encyclopedia. She offered to buy Diderot’s library for £1,000, which is more than $150,000 today. Suddenly, Diderot was a wealthy man. Not only did he pay for his daughter’s wedding, but he also acquired a scarlet robe for himself. Diderot’s scarlet robe was extravagant. It was breathtaking; he immediately noticed how out of place it seemed when surrounded by his more common possessions. Diderot soon felt the urge to upgrade his possessions. He replaced his rug with one from Damascus. Diderot decorated his home with expensive sculptures. He bought a mirror above the mantel and a better kitchen table. He tossed aside his old straw chair for a leather one. Like falling dominoes, one purchase led to the next. The Diderot EffectDiderot’s behavior is not uncommon. The tendency for one purchase to lead to another has a name: the Diderot Effect. The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases. This pattern exists throughout society today as it did then. For example, when a person buys a dress, they feel the need to buy new shoes and earrings to match. Or, when an individual buys a couch and suddenly questions the layout of the entire living room. Lastly, the purchase of a toy for a child and soon after purchasing all the accessories to go with it are in the shopping cart. In modern society, the effect usually happens when a person graduates from college, graduate school, medical school, residency, and starts their full-time career. The student has been studying for so long and is ready to make money. Next, they see how much money they will earn and realize everything they could not afford in school but now want. Some of these items include: |