The Diderot Effect
In the 18th century, the French philosopher Denis Diderot once received a gift from a friend: a soft, red robe. After replacing his old robe with the new one, Diderot suddenly felt that the desk in his study did not match the robe. So he bought a new desk that suited the elegant robe. However, after replacing the desk, the chair began to look out of place. He then replaced the chair as well to match the new desk. After changing the chair, the clock no longer seemed fitting, so he replaced the clock too. In this way, as he continued adding new items one by one, he eventually ended up replacing all the furniture in his study.
This psychological tendency, in which acquiring one new item leads to a series of purchases of related items, is called the “Diderot Effect.” It is a psychological phenomenon that reflects the endless desires of human beings.
Diderot introduced this anecdote in his writings and said that he had been ruled by his new robe. When we are content with what we have and pursue reasonable consumption, we can free ourselves from the rule of endless desires.
