The Diderot Effect and How to Escape it — According to the Man Himself
My friends, keep your old friends. My friends, fear the touch of wealth. Let my example teach you a lesson. Poverty has its freedoms; opulence has its obstacles. — Denis Diderot
In his essay “Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown,” French philosopher and art critic Denis Diderot lamented how receiving a beautiful scarlet gown as a gift triggered a chain of events leading him to debt and life dissatisfaction. Compared to the elegance of his gift, the rest of his wardrobe and possessions suddenly looked dull and out of place. This thus started a slippery slope of “upgrades” leading him to financial ruin.
Our strong sense of identity and striving for coherence conspire to build our projected persona: including through what we own, how we dress, who we associate with and where we live. Our internal structure reflects on our external order and vice versa. The Diderot effect feeds on this search for unity and occurs when a new purchase or possession — that was hitherto unnecessary, unwanted or incongruent — triggers a process of escalating upgrades and replacements to bring everything else to par and fit with the new acquisition. For example, a young woman with limited financial resources desires a high-end handbag to fit with her circle of friends. Once the handbag is acquired — maybe after many months of saving — the person realizes the rest of her outfit does not live up to the fancy bag, so feels compelled to spend her hard-earned money upgrading the rest of her look: more expensive dress or shoes. Which in turn compels her to spend more on fancier jewellery or frequent higher-end beauty salons… etc. Or a family that moves into a new neighbourhood because all husband’s friends live in similar areas. They are then triggered to trade in their car for a fancier truck to go with the expectations of the house and then a trailer and other gadgets to go with the truck.
If an enlightened philosopher and an adept of stoicism fell for the trap of consumerism what chance do we have mere mortals in a world of advertising and social media? Luckily for us, Diderot himself gives us few ways to diagnose and combat this tendency.
1. Awareness of the effect and its affect
Diderot wrote his essay to expose and warn us. He became aware of the trap and how it impacted him. He also documented the process. This process of spiraling consumption affects each of us differently: we might be more or less prone to its grip or it might materialize in different aspects of our lives. However, like the call of a siren, most — not to say all — of us are drawn to its mesmerizing call.
To guard against getting caught in overleveraged life is to be aware of and understand how the Diderot effect works and how it affects us personally. Each of us comes with a different set of strengths and weaknesses, life experiences, and perspectives. Therefore, our vulnerabilities, predispositions and triggers for the Diderot effect varies from one person to the next.
Some might be all too clear and visible but sometimes it’s hidden and insidious. Sometimes it is financial and material, other times it is emotional and psychological. Sometimes it is a result of shopping addiction, other times it is an identity struggle or a self-defence mechanism — so as not to deal with other pressing issues — or lack of priorities or a well-defined and grounded identity.
This understanding needs to occur at the practical, as well as the theoretically levels. Reflect back to when this might have happened and see how this might kept (or is still) happening. Identify your mental self-talk leading to such behaviour and your weaknesses and biases. And if necessary, do as Diderot did, write about it.
2. Look for red-flags
Realizing, in the moment, that we are falling into an overspending cycle may not always be evident as our brains are experts in self-rationalizations. After all, maybe our house really needs that interior remodelling — which will make it both more functional and align with our tastes. Maybe not and it is just the pull of an ever-evading thrill.
Hence, it is sometimes easier to identify and be on the lookout for few red-flags to warn us that we are slipping and falling for the Diderot effect and other consumption traps. Diderot, through his essay, described the changes that occurred as the result of acquiring the new dress. The changes were as much psychological and emotional as physical and financial.
As we grow and our experiences get richer, it is to be expected that our tastes, tendencies and even our personality and values shift as a result. However, healthy changes in personality often occur gradually and as a result of self-discovery and experiences. Be on the lookout if you feel that your personality traits, priorities and preferences are fading or changing too quickly or too often. Notice if your approach and priorities towards relationships, contribution and life are fading. Diderot expressed his loss of identity going from being the genuine “writer, the man who works” to having “the air of a rich good for nothing. No one knows who I am.”
This identity shift often accompanies a near obsession with physical aspects or possessions — especially new and expensive ones. Diderot himself felt that he was cheating his stoic ideals by letting himself chase after so many possessions and be subjected to them. The philosopher decries: “I was the absolute master of my old robe. I have become the slave of the new one.” And as a result of this obsession, the carefree demeanor of the writer was replaced by constant worry.
Another strong telltale that we might be repeating the same mistake as Diderot can show up in our bank accounts and financial statements. Diderot acknowledged that his spiraling spending led him to the edge of financial ruin and neglecting his responsibilities towards his family. He “has run up debts [] instead of depositing a useful sum deep in a faithful coffer.”
A by-product of the effect which can serve as sign of uncontrolled consumption shows up in our ever-filling closets, basements and garages. Throughout his exposé, the writer described how his old possessions were relegated to the closet and the attic.
3. Safeguards
Prevention is the best medicine. So build safeguards to immunize yourself against the slippage. Work on your identity: who you are and how do you want to be perceived? What are your values and interests and what truly brings you joy? Are there any discrepancies or conflicts between the two?
Define your priorities, goals and lifestyle that you think suits you and build a budget around that. Strive to comply with and respect your goals and budget. A well defined budget, especially as it concerns discretionary spending categories. More important than building a budget is having the tools to monitor the spending regularly and the commitment to stick to allocated budget for each category: as an example, this translates into allocating a definite amount (e.g. $200) or a percentage of your income (e.g. 10%) per month to shopping or eating out. Defining clear and practical long-term goals will help you stay committed to your budget and prioritize long-term goals over short-term splurges.
To reduce attachment, favor flow over stock, experiences over things and relationship building over possessions. Use a list of criteria before acquiring or replacing an item. Favor practicality, meaningfulness, versatility, quality, durability, and fit.
Practice periodic decluttering — once a season — by donating or reselling items that are may still in good condition but do not necessarily already fit your existing layout and goals.
Use the effect to your advantage. If above is well defined, you can build around that and have both a congruent identity and possessions — an outer life that mirrors your authentic and tidy inner self.
4. Sacrifice everything to God.. In your head
Diderot, as a good student of Diogenes, spent half of his essay on the single item that provides him immense pleasure and imploring God to save that piece of art even at the cost of everything else he owns. This probably what ultimately saved him.
Say to God: If you see in your eternal decrees that riches are corrupting the heart of Denis, don’t spare the masterpieces he idolizes. Destroy them and return him to his original poverty. And I, on my side, will say to the heavens: Oh God! I resign myself to the prayer of the holy prophet and to your will. I abandon everything to you. Take back everything, everything except the Vernet! It’s not the artist, it is you who made it. — Denis Diderot
If there was a fire in your house and you had to save only one item, what would that be? Why? If you had to choose one piece of possession that describes or summarizes you to someone else, what would that be? Keep asking yourself a series of why’s until you get to the bottom of explanations: do the answers satisfy you and prove meaningful?
Can you realistically imagine yourself voluntarily getting rid of all your possessions (except practical and overly necessary ones)? What does that trigger in you?
Can you think you can live happily with less, if necessary? What would be in your bugout suitcase?
These fictive (or if you have the gut for it, real) scenarios, if considered seriously, can greatly help create a distance between yourself and your possessions and re-establish that owner/tool relationship between you and your belongings.
In the end, the writer gives a pretty positive outlook on the possibility of escaping the effect:
With time all debts will be paid, remorse will be calmed and I will have pure joy. Don’t fear that the mad desire to stock up beautiful things has taken control of me. The friends I had I sill have, and their number hasn’t grown. I have [the gown] but it doesn’t have me. — Denis Diderot
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