Most of us buy more than we really need, although not everyone does, many people spend more than their income level recommends. There are many reasons for this, but one of the most interesting is the so-called Diderot effect.
Understanding how our mind works and why we act this way (and not another) is critical to changing our problematic behaviors, so understanding diderot’s effect and the power it has on us can help us reduce our spending level.
In this article we will study this psychological effect and give you some ideas to identify and combat it.
The Diderot effect was first described in the 18th century by a French philosopher from whom he takes his name, who realized that acquiring a new property can lead to the purchase of many others.
Concerned about the expenses he considered unnecessary, he began to study what was going on; later, his work was expanded at the end of the 20th century by anthropologist Grant McCracken.
Among the most important discoveries of the two is the fact that the objects we possess are directly related to our identity, so our possessions and what we think of them also influence elements as angular as our self-image or our self-esteem.
McCracken thought that when we buy and increase our assets by adding one more, the dissonance that can occur if it is very different from the rest can make us very uncomfortable.
Therefore, on many occasions, we will tend to acquire new things that go more in line with the first thing we buy or what we already have.
That would be what would happen when the Diderot effect came into play, to understand it we will see below an example described by Denis Diderot himself during his research on the subject.
The discovery of the Diderot effect was motivated by a fact that unexpectedly changed the life of the French philosopher, who in his work regrets when I said goodbye to my old dress, told how an innocent gift ended up ruining it.
In the book, Diderot says that receiving a beautiful scarlet dress as a gift brought her unins desired consequences. At first, the philosopher was delighted with his new property. However, he soon realized that the rest of his items were not so elegant.
Thus, Diderot recounts in his book that he began to replenish his old possessions, changed his old wooden chair to a comfortable leather chair, replaced the paintings of his house with much more expensive ones, gradually he spent more. and more money to buy stylish items that match your new dress.
Almost inadvertently, the man ended up spending all his money on goods he didn’t really want, this is the main example of what the Diderot effect can do to us if we let him control our decisions, yet can we do anything?to fight it?
Below are several keys to avoid the worst consequences of the Diderot effect.
In conclusion, controlling the Diderot effect can be tricky, but if you’re aware of what you’re doing and reduce your motivation to impress others, you’ll soon realize that you no longer need to make hundreds of new purchases simply by state. provide or because they are combined with others.