In a page-turner titled Atomic Habits, James Clear delves deep into the didactic details of the Diderot Effect. Denis Diderot (1713-1784); French philosopher, lived the better part of his life in the squalor of poverty. Until the tide of fortune turned in his favour in 1765. Diderot’s daughter was about to exchange nuptial vows, but dad Diderot could not meet the expensive wedding expenses. Despite the desperate state of lack, Diderot was known far and wide for his stroke of genius as the writer of Encyclopèdie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of that dispensation and time. So, when Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, heard of Denis Diderot’s financial plight, she felt for him. The royal woman was a passionate book lover who greatly enjoyed Diderot’s encyclopedia.
Catherine the Great offered to buy Diderot’s personal library for £1,000 – more than $150,000 today. Suddenly, Diderot’s misfortunes turned to fortune. With his new wealth, he not only paid for the daughter’s wedding but also acquired a scarlet robe for himself. Diderot’s scarlet robe had bewitching beauty. He noticed immediately how one felt to be out of place when surrounded by more common possessions. The man wrote, “no more co-ordination, no more unity, no more beauty, between my elegant rob and the rest of his stuff.”
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Denis Diderot soon felt compelled to upgrade his possessions. He replaced his rug with the one from Damascus. He decorated his home with some ostentatious sculptures. He bought a mirror to place above the mantel, and a better kitchen table. He turned and tossed aside his old straw chair – replaced it with a leather one. One purchase led to the next: Leading to the origin of Diderot Effect, which states: “Obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption that leads to additional purchases”. This is quite evident. For instance, when a winsome woman purchases a dress, she is again compelled to buy shoes, and maybe earrings. This helps her to strike a beautiful blend. When a man like the welder of these wise words purchases a sleek suit, sartorial elegance drives him to acquire a trendy tie. Then, a shirt with some shine and sheen will follow suit. Good indeed, this is to mark good grooming as a soft skill. Human behaviour also follows this interesting trend. People decide on what to do next based on what they have finished doing. No behaviour happens in isolation. Going to the bathroom leads to washing and drying hands, which reminds us that we should put the dirty towel in the laundry.
Therefore, we go ahead to add the laundry detergent on the shopping list – and so on, and so forth. When it comes to building new good habits, we can use the connectedness of behaviour to our advantage. We simply identify a good habit we already do each day – and then stack new behaviour on top. This is habit stacking. For instance: One, you can serve yourself a cup of coffee in the morning, then meditate for one minute to become reflective. Two, after your morning devotion, you can exercise for half an hour to become fit like a fiddle and sound like a bell. Three, when you sit to eat supper, you thank God to build an attitude of gratitude. Four, when you are in a party, you create useful networks for mutual gain. Five, when you serve yourself a yummy meal, you start by serving vegetables to eat healthy. Six, when you buy a new item, give something away (one in, one out) to express altruism. Seven, when you want to buy something over $ 100, you will always allow discretion to rule to enhance financial prudence. Eight, when your phone rings, you will take one deep breath and smile before answering the call to practise politeness. Nine, when you leave a public place, you will always check the table and chairs to overcome forgetfulness.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer rolls out talks and training services. vochieng.90@gmailcom. 0704420232
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