Denis Diderot and the Traps of Bought Prestige
- Rashad
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Denis Diderot was an eighteenth-century philosopher and writer who had a reputation as a deep thinker in intellectual circles. His work did not lead to any level of financial riches, a fact that did not seem to trouble Diderot, but when he was unable to provide a dowry for his daughter, his lack of financial means was thrust to the forefront of his mind. Fortunately, his work had won him many fans, including Catherine the Great, the empress of Russia; hearing his financial struggle, she offered to buy his library and retain his services as her personal librarian, for which she would pay him handsomely.
Shortly after this good financial fortune, Denis Diderot came to own a fancy new scarlet robe. Diderot liked the status that fancy robe conferred on him but felt the remainder of his possessions could not compare to the beauty and prestige of this new one.
How could he be expected to dress in such a robe but sit in such a shabby chair, walk in such tattered shoes, or write at such a spartan desk? In quick succession, he purchased a new leather chair, new shoes, and an elaborate wooden desk, all of which seemed a suitable match for his scarlet robe-or, perhaps more important, a suitable match for the type of person who wore such a fancy scarlet robe.
The new robe had created a new identity, one that Denis Diderot became attached to and that he wanted to continue signalaing to the world. Diderot’s new scarlet robe was beautiful. So beautiful that he immediately noticed how out of place it seemed among his common possessions. The philosopher soon felt the urge to buy new things that matched the beauty of his robe. He replaced his old rug with a new one from Damascus. He decorated his home with beautiful sculptures and a better kitchen table. He replaced his mediocre but beloved prints with new ones. He bought a new mirror to place above the mantle, and his “straw chair was relegated to the antechamber by a leather chair.” But rather than feeling content and grateful for his good fortune, Diderot experienced great dissatisfaction. Nothing seemed to match his usual style and status anymore. In his essay from 1769 “Regrets sur ma vieille robe de Chambre” (“Regrets on parting with my old dressing gown”), Diderot laments receiving the new dressing gown that has led him to replace all of his possessions with new ones, ultimately resulting in a feeling of deep discontentment and existential dread.
In that same essay, “Regrets for my old dressing gown”, Diderot lamented, “My old robe was one with the other rags that surrounded me. A straw chair, a wooden table, a rug from Bergamo, a wood plank that held up a few books, a few smoky prints without frames, hung by their corners on that tapestry. Between these prints, three or four suspended plasters formed, along with my old robe, the most harmonious indigence. All is now discordant. No more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty.”
He also said this absolute beauty:
“I was the absolute master of my old robe. I have become the slave of the new one.”
“The term “Diderot Effect” itself was coined and popularized by the anthropologist and scholar of consumption patterns Grant McCracken in 1988. Referencing Diderot’s essay, Grant McCracken asserts that when a well-established consumption pattern is disrupted — by purchasing a luxurious red robe, for example — individuals tend to respond by establishing a new consumption pattern that aligns with the quality and status symbolized by that particular item.”
Denis Diderot had fallen victim to the perils of bought status-the slow, creeping thirst for more, for the next thing that would confer upon him a level of external affirmation.
Identifying and avoiding these bought-status games and playing earned-status games instead is important for building a life of social wealth.
There is a simple question to assess which game you are playing, when it comes to purchases.
“Would I buy thins thing if I could not show it to anyone or tell anyone about it?”
Before diving into material purchases and triggers for buying them, I would like to provide some definitions.
Status in general refers to the social or professional position or rank of an individual or group within a society or community. It indicates the level of importance, respect, or prestige associated with a person based on various factors.
Earned status - Is usually achieved through grit, personal effort, academic honors, integrity, respect earned, performance, accomplishments, hustle, merit & contributions to society. All of that usually happens within duration of time. It rarely involves someone getting lucky within one day.
Bought status - is usually gained through financial expenditure and purchase. It is acquired by paying or obtaining via a transaction. It does not necessarily reflect effort, skill or contribution.
Earned Status, however, is the real respect, admiration, and trust received through hard-won treasures:
- The freedom to choose how to spend your time (and whom to spend it with)
- The healthy, loving relationships made possible by years of present energy
- The purpose-imbued work and mastery within a domain, built through years of effort
- The wisdom accumulated through decades of lived experience
- The adaptable mind shaped through a steady mindfulness practice and thoughtful introspection
- The strong, fit physique built through hours of movement and disciplined eating
- The professional promotion or company sale achieved after an extended period of hard work in the dark
There are countless reasons why we buy too much stuff. Sometimes, society and advertising cunningly push us to purchase, but other motivations seem to originate from within us. Among them, one particularly wicked impulse drives people to overconsume. The phenomenon of reactive purchasing and acquiring new possessions that result in a spiral of consumption has become known as the Diderot Effect.
Entepreneur Naval Ravikant once quipped “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
Denis Diderot played a stupid game and won a stupid prize. Do not fall into the same trap: Avoid bought status games and focus on playing earned-status games, because the prizes are much more fulfilling.
Pura Vida!
PS
This article was very much inspired by Sahil Bloom & his book called “5 types of wealth”
(https://www.sahilbloom.com/newsletter/the-2-types-of-status-bought-vs-earned)
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