Diderot Effect- One buying leads to accumulating and purchasing many more !!

I desperately wanted to buy a green dress for my birthday. After searching for a long time, I finally found what I wanted. I returned home and was ecstatic with my shopping. But then I realized I didn’t have green shoes to pair with my dress. In my head, only green shoes would look good with that dress. I got restless and desperately wanted green shoes. I started looking for green shoes online and in shops. While hunting for green shoes, I also craved buying green stone jewelry. It will complete the “perfect look.” Isn’t it? Eventually, I bought green shoes, earrings, a bracelet, and a chain other than my green dress, which was my initial desire.

Well, what’s wrong with me? I am sure you must be thinking the same.

If you noticed, I ended up buying things not needed. I fell into the trap of the Diderot effect.

What is the Diderot effect? It’s not a philosophy but a theory, a well-proven phenomenon that occurs when acquiring a new possession leads to a spiral of consumption that results in acquiring even more possessions. In other words, buying something new can cause a chain reaction of buying more and more things because the new item makes one feel like one needs another thing to go with it or to keep up with it. It can lead to overspending and accumulating more possessions than one needs or uses. The term was coined by anthropologist and scholar of consumption patterns Grant McCracken in 1988. It was named after the French philosopher Denis Diderot (1713–1784), who first described the effect in an essay, his personal experience. It started with an expensive bathrobe and led to buying entirely new furniture, carpet, and décor for his bedroom.

There are numerous reasons we buy more stuff than we need.

1. The first is the habit of overspending. We cannot control the urge to have more. For some people, buying something materialistic gives them temporary satisfaction and happiness.
2. The other reason is -some motivations to buy more are pushed down upon us by society- social media. Social media heavily influences us all. Because of social media, nowadays, it is easy to know about other’s life. Moreover, it provides a platform to share what’s happening in our world. The photos of expensive vacations, fancy clothes, and accessories tempt others to follow the same lifestyle. On top of it, some of us are always in competition and running a fictitious race with each other. They want to show others they are ahead of them and living a “luxurious” life. Social media has contributed to our buying habits extensively.
3. Acknowledging that online shopping and digital marketing have significantly increased our expenses is essential. Earlier, we needed to go to the shop to buy things, but now we can purchase anything with our fingertips. This easy access has lured and fooled many of us. The huge discounts offered during weekends and festival times and the collection of reward point systems for shoppers contribute to increased consumer spending.

Understanding this phenomenon and how it is linked with consumers buying frequency and pattern is essential. The purchase of one new item often leads to the purchase of another. In my example, I wanted to buy a green dress, but I ended up spending money on other things, too, which were optional. I will share another example: we recently built our basement and put expensive wallpaper on one of the walls during ongoing construction. We were happy with our choice, but after a while, we got the feeling that the ceiling adjacent to that wall was not going with the wallpaper. We immediately decided to spend on expensive ceiling tiles. As the top changed, we decided to get some fancy quartz tiles for the bar, which complemented the wallpaper and ceiling. As you can see, one change started the chain reaction, and we eventually spent a lot in our basement. Ultimately, I am satisfied with the result, but it cost us a lot.

In each circumstance, the reality is that we already owned enough shoes, dresses, or decorations, and they all worked just fine before. However, something new was introduced into our lives, which triggered the desire to have more and better to complement them. It is called the Diderot Effect.

How might we overcome the Diderot Effect in our lives and resist this pattern of unnecessary consumerism?

Let me offer some thoughts:

1. Awareness- Knowing how this concept impacts our buying decisions is important. Once we become conscious of being trapped into spiraling consumption not because we need an item but because of an introduction of something new, it is easy to avoid it. Realizing the Diderot Effect is a significant force, and overcoming it isn’t easy. We need to check how much we are spending consciously. We need to analyze and think twice before making such erratic buying decisions.
2. Remind yourself that possessions do not define you. Please stop trying to impress others with your stuff and start trying to impress them with your life. Many of us have the tendency and habits to purchase new things and show off. Trust me, nobody will accept you for what possession you own. They will admire you for who you are as a person. Things do not hold the key to abundance in life. Your possessions do not define you or your success — no matter what.
3. One in, one out, I learned this concept from my friend. She told me that whenever she buys one dress or any item, one thing goes out of her wardrobe. I like this suggestion. Each time you make a new purchase, give something away. There is so much pleasure in sharing things. A big part of our society is deprived of the necessities of life.

There are times when we have a legitimate need to buy new things. But the best way to overcome the Diderot Effect is never to allow you to overpower your buying decision in the first place. The goal is not to reduce life to the fewest things but to fill it with the optimal number of items.

Poverty has its freedoms; Opulence has its obstacles. By Denis Diderot.