What Is the Diderot Effect and Its True Cost and Impact

MartinRaymondo

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MartinRaymondo 〰️ 〰️

Are you drowning in debt? 

The Diderot Effect occurs when acquiring one item sparks a desire to purchase more. How did a philosopher in the 1700s understand consumerism and its impact on our wallets?

Denis Diderot

Diderot was a French philosopher who lived in poverty in the 1700s. 

He needed money he didn’t have as his daughter was about to get married. Despite his financial struggles, he commanded considerable fame. 

Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, decided to buy his library collection. She paid a substantial amount of money for it, recognizing its value. For the first time in his life, Diderot was flush with cash. 

Diderot chose to buy a scarlet robe with his newfound fortune. 

That’s when everything changed. 

Soon after, he noticed the robe was too fancy for his living situation. He then needed to upgrade most of everything in his place — a new rug, kitchen table, etc.

Why Do We Buy So Much Junk?

Advertising is one of the main culprits for this. We get bombarded by ads every minute of the day, and we don’t even realize it. It also doesn’t help to witness everyone around you purchasing stuff like their life is on the line.

The Diderot Effect creeps into our lives, and we don’t even know it. 

I noticed this firsthand when I got dragged out dress shopping with my kid’s mom for their graduation. 

After trying on about 600 of them, she bought a dress she liked and said she didn’t have any shoes or jewellery matching. This ended up costing her much more than the price of the dress. It’s like a snowball effect. 

Buying stuff is so common in our day-to-day lives that we don’t see it. 

If you don’t believe me, try this. Go one week without buying anything. Make sure you have the essential items like medications, for example. 

Don’t go stocking up on anything beforehand. Start today and end the experiment in one week to prevent that from happening. Stick to your budget for gas and groceries and avoid spending on non-essentials like clothes, coffee, or eating out. 

It isn’t easy.

True Cost

Most people don’t understand the true cost of items. People tend to only look at the cost of an item and think it stops there. 

It doesn’t. 

I’ll give you a personal example. 

I’ve been looking to buy a new laptop and never owned an Apple computer. I want a MacBook Air, and I’m waiting for the new ones to come out any day. The rumour is they will come in March 2024. 

Buying this new laptop will cost me around $2000 after tax, but that’s not the true cost. 

What if I need a travel case for the computer or I want a laptop stand? 

All these items add up and increase the actual cost of your item. My best approach is to check out all the accessories in advance and include the ones I want. At least then, I can assess what this laptop might cost me, which might turn me off. 

When you’re thinking about buying something, consider its true cost. Wait a few days before you decide. 

No need to worry; the piece of junk you wanted will still be there tomorrow.