In mid-1700’s France, there lived an artist and writer on the brink of poverty.
His name was Denis Diderot.
He had been born into an established family, the son of a successful craftsman, and he had obliged the social standing of his birth by pursuing a formal education. He obtained a Master of Arts in philosophy, bound for a respectable profession in clergy or law.
But Diderot dreamed of becoming a writer.
When Diderot was 21 years old, he dropped out of school. His furious father disowned him, and Diderot lived a scrappy bohemian lifestyle for the next thirty years.
Yet he enjoyed this simple life. His robes were plain but comfortable. He furnished his sparse home with a tiny writing desk and a tattered straw chair. He spent his evenings at his battered desk, scrolling by candlelight.
He wrote novels and scientific papers and critiques of the French government, and article by article, book by book, his ideas began to spread. He wrote Encyclopédie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of the era, and over the decades, despite his lack of disposable income, he amassed an impressive collection of books.
His ideas impressed the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. When she learned that Diderot needed financial help, she volunteered to serve as his benefactor.
In 1763, Catherine the Great purchased his personal library, paying an enormous sum for his collection. She requested that Diderot keep those books at his home, offering him a generous annual salary to act as the collection’s caretaker.
Then she ordered her staff to pay his salary for the next 50 years upfront.
Diderot, age 52, became a wealthy man.
That’s when his life turned sour.
Surely, Diderot reasoned, he ought to be permitted one small indulgence. What harm could there be in spending a sliver of his windfall?
And so Diderot bought himself a fine scarlet robe. He loved this robe, and referred to it as “my sumptuous scarlet.”
But his joy was to be short-lived.
One night as Diderot sat at his desk, he noticed the jarring disparity between his tasteful scarlet robe and his tattered straw chair.
He wrote that he saw “no more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty” between his scarlet robe and his usual surroundings. How could he sit in an ugly chair while wearing a beautiful robe? What if the straw tore the robe?
Diderot replaced it with an armchair upholstered in Moroccan leather.
Problem solved. Right?
Except his elegant chair looked out-of-place next to his tiny writing desk. He replaced it with a gleaming new wooden table.
His pile of paperwork couldn’t sit atop this beautiful wooden table. He bought a finely-crafted bureau with drawers.
He bought a new kitchen table, new artwork, a mirror to hang above his mantle. He bought a gold clock, an assortment of sketches, an antique bronze statue of Venus.
Piece by piece, Diderot replaced every item in his home, until he lived in splendor that reflected his scarlet robe.
But he had spent his windfall.
And so it was that Diderot came to rue the day when he purchased his fine scarlet robe.
“All that remains of my original mediocrity is a rug of selvage,” he wrote in an essay. “I can feel that this pitiful rug doesn’t go well with my newfound luxury. But I swore and I swear, like the peasant transferred from his hut to a palace … that Denis the philosopher will never walk upon a masterpiece …”
“When in the morning, covered in my sumptuous scarlet, I enter my office,” he wrote, “I lower my gaze and I see my old rug of selvage. It reminds me of my beginnings and pride is stopped at the entryway to my heart.”
Today, the Diderot Effect is a term that describes the tendency for purchases to trigger additional purchases.
- We buy a couch, and then we need accent pillows and throw blankets.
- We buy an outfit, and then we need shoes and accessories.
- We get a gym membership, and then we need better workout clothes, earbuds, more towels, a combination lock, and a bag to carry everything.
But it doesn’t have to be this way.
We live better lives than Denis Diderot and his peers.
We sit in castles made comfortable by thermostats we control from our phones. We keep milk and meat in electric ice-boxes known as refrigerators. We access safe, clean drinking water from a tap that we turn on with a simple flick of the finger. We watch entertainment from private devices we control with tiny remotes. We live lives of luxury.
Yet we hunger for more.
We decide our refrigerator isn’t nice enough; not when the latest models are wifi-enabled with touch screens. We gripe that the pixels on our private entertainment-streaming devices aren’t sharp enough. We nitpick at the aesthetic of the tap from which our clean drinking water flows. “This faucets’ curve isn’t quite right, and I prefer stainless steel over chrome.” We walk on ceramic tile floors and grumble that it’s not hardwood.
We spend our windfall.
And then, in the midst of the madness, we take a step back.
We look around and realize that our castles have grown too large; our furniture and clothing, too fancy. We realize nobody goes to their deathbed regretting that they never had hardwood floors.
We realize that we are on-track to repeating the mistake of Diderot, surrounded by splendor with empty pockets. All flash, no cash.
But our situation is forgiving.
We can return the robe.
We can downsize into modest homes. We can find joy in home-cooked meals rather than extravagant restaurants. We can shop less and give away more.
We can simplify.
And piece by piece, choice by choice, the Diderot Effect loosens its grip.
Diderot can return the robe.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons; Denis Diderot
Financial Velociraptor
Poetic!
The Native Americans allegedly have a saying that, “you don’t own your things; they take possession of you.”
I’m less Spartan than I could be but far more so than most. And I live a simple retirement at an age most consider far too young.
Paula
“You don’t own your things; they own you” — exactly! 💯
Thomas Tylman
Great article, Paula as usual. More begets more, but where is the happiness?
Thanks
Thomas Tylman
Shaun
Financial Velociraptor is an A+ name haha. Love it. And oddly enough just watched Jurassic World last night!!
George Wood
Thank you for this most eloquent reminder that what we have is so much more than enough.
Lisette
This was a perfect depiction of what we now call “1st world problems”…where more stuff is never enough. Simplify and minimize are the way to a more fulfilling life. Lesson learned. Let me go clean out my closet. Thanks!
Paula
Reducing clutter, donating old items, minimizing … I never realized how impactful this would be on not only my wallet but also my mental well-being, until I did it. It’s a win-win in every regard. Good for your money, mindset, environment, society.
Matt ward
Thank you for this – love it!
Erin
Really enjoyed this piece of writing, and I love the work you do. Thank you!
Dr. Cory S Fawcett
What a great story and so applicable today. I see this all the time when resident physicians get their first job. Big income starts and it’s followed by big spending and borrowing. Soon they are 7 figures in debt. This is a good reference to point them to.
Dr. Cory S. Fawcett
Prescription for Financial Success
Cathleen Cooks Stuff
Basically, we are all that mouse in “if you give a mouse a cookie”. Lifestyle inflation is a thing- and goodness knows I’ve given into it, too, at times. I mean, did I “need” a dishwasher? No. Did I get one? Yes- off of craigslist (practically brand new! the owner just bought the condo and was reno-ing the unit before the family moved in and decided to get rid of a dishwasher to teach his kids about doing things themselves). I’m still grateful for it- and for the washing machine, my hot water heater, my refrigerator, and my car. All things even the wealthiest people 200 years ago wouldn’t have access to. Not to mention the much safer cooking methods we have now- I mean, one of the highest killer of women way back when was cooking- they’re stupid skirts would catch on fire at the open flame! Now, it’s just me burning stuff on accident.
Paula
“If you give a mouse a cookie” is the perfect modern metaphor. And yikes about that burning over the kitchen flame!!
Jaime
There’s a healthy middle of the road, between spender and money hoarder. I think everyone needs a budget, I don’t care how wealthy you are. Also, human nature will always want more (learned that in economics classes), you just have to keep that part of you in check.
Aen
Very poignant piece–thank you, Paula! And I appreciate the hopeful message at the end. All is not lost–we can just simply down-size, return, and say no to vapid consumption!
What I’m still trying to figure out, though, is whether “buying” time and experiences is another (sneakier) symptom of the Diderot Effect? Among my friends and age-group, I see an almost slavish compulsion to TRAVEL, TRAVEL, TRAVEL (seems to be how we measure whether our lives are worthwhile?) and justify money spent on time-saving services like a home cleaner, meal prep subscriptions, etc. I know you’ve addressed this in various ways at different times on your podcast, but I’d love to see a deeper exploration of this topic sometime!
Angela @ Tread Lightly Retire Early
SO much easier not to give in to that first robe than have to find the willpower to give it back.
Amber Garibay
Thank you for this lovely article. I shared it with everyone I love. ❤ #thelifeyouliveisachoice #rubberroostermedia
Shaun
I see this in my late 20’s friends, less in material things, and more in big life decisions. Houses, pets, kids, trips all of which sometimes have much longer lasting financial effects then the robe or a couch. It seems like a rush for many of them to check as life boxes as they can without taking the time to enjoy them. Maybe it’s because they haven’t found other passions to focus their energy on?
You can return a robe, ya can’t return a kid. (legally)
laura ann
It is so easy to shop Amazon, Ikea and ebay and websites selling stuff. Some minimalists blame Amazon for most of the hording nowdays.
Ron Sanders Jr., MD
Nice article. Enjoyed reading 😎
Mel
I love this example, thank you for sharing! We bought a foreclosure house at the price that non-foreclosures were going for the year prior because, well, it was 2015 and our market was crazy here. You could equate it to Diderot getting the robe: we have the house with the “good bones” in the good neighborhood, but still have the foreclosure flooring, kitchen, bathrooms, etc.
Thank you for the reminder to be MINDFUL of the choices that we make!
Matt L
This is beautiful, Paula. Thank you. I’ve listened to your podcast for a long time, but I don’t often sit down to read and haven’t read your blog, before. You may have hooked me.
Sol
This story was really well placed amongst your other collection of financial advice. Great job spicing up the articles Paula.
Kaylie
In my early 20’s kiteboarding was a hobby that really appealed to me but even from the outside, I could see it would end up expensive, upgrading kites and gear the better you get, for different wind conditions etc. It was a financial decision not to start this, it may sound like deprivation but being mindful about every decision is important and I’ve have a rich life with many cheaper hobbies and plenty of travel.
Smith
I am also an artist and I loved his idea.
Ron
I recently got rid of a nice Camarro and we are so happy that we do not have to deal with the things we think we need in life
Sachin Bhargava
Interesting article. Budgeting is very important. Everyone must do it. No matter how rich you are or how poor you care. Human needs are endless and the want to satisfy the need forces us to better our lives at the end of the day. so its best to budget and plan things out.
Papa Foxtrot
I love this story. It is a perfect illustration in the disease that is consumerism.
Robert Linker
This is a nice reminder of the simplicity of financial responsibility. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this. I find myself constantly pulled in the direction Diderot was. I think most of us if we are honest, will say that we fall into this trap more times than we want to admit.
Emmie
This is a great article. Great read. More stuff equals more stress – we should all live simpler lives.