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On the Diderot Effect and conscious consumption

Denis Diderot, the French philosopher behind one of the first encyclopaedias, spent most of his life in poverty. That is until Catherine the Great of Russia bought his encyclopaedia collection, suddenly making him a wealthy man.

What did Diderot do with his newfound wealth? He bought himself a luxurious new robe.

And that’s where it all began.

Once he had the robe, his old chair looked shabby in comparison, so he bought a new one. The new chair made the rest of his furniture seem outdated, so he upgraded his entire study. Then he needed new rugs, new decor and on and on it went, until he found himself trapped in a cycle of endless consumption.

This phenomenon, now known as the Diderot Effect, explains why one small purchase can trigger a domino effect, leading us to acquire more than we ever intended.

Have you experienced this? You buy a nice dress and now you need nice shoes or a bag to match. You move into a larger house and now you need more stuff to put inside it.

We live in an age of abundance. There are more career paths, lifestyle options, entertainment choices and consumer goods than ever before. Logically, you’d think this would...

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