I wasn’t very familiar with Diderot until I started becoming better acquainted with the minimalist approach to material possessions.
Diderot was like so many of us, a flawed human — except he was from an ancient time, many moons ago. He came into a large sum of money through a series of events which led him to make one purchase and then another — and then another, because each time he bought something new he needed something to go with it.
In modern times, most of us have succumbed to the Diderot effect at one point or another. We’ve bought the perfect accessory after buying a new outfit, which of course meant we needed new shoes. We’ve bought one thing for a new hobby, only to decide that we needed one more color or another tool — and then, we suddenly ended up with a pile of things for a new hobby that wasn’t a hobby a year later.
Instead of shaking our heads at the accumulation of unnecessary things, can we use the same effect in reverse?
What if we were to declutter, streamline and make one area in our homes completely functional, minimal and beautifully serene? Would that make us feel that other areas in our homes needed to go through the same process? Could decluttering one pile of stuff lead to the continual declutter of more piles of stuff?
I’m not entirely sure a reverse domino effect is always possible, because, well, inertia. However, if we begin with a clear vision of a streamlined, beautiful and functional dwelling, perhaps we can become better at choosing what we accumulate.
Do you find that you accumulate less if you’ve spent the time to declutter and simplify?
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I definitely agree with that. The more I declutter, the more thoughtful I get about my purchases. I really try to apply the one-in-one-out rule, or sometimes even one-in-two-out.
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One-in-two-out sound very effective! I’m need to try that.
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Hi! I spent a few great months getting rid of 80% of our stuff, blogging about it and now have little interest in buying more than what I need. Minimimalizing was freeing not only physically and mentally, it was freeing spiritually too, for me! Great post!
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I’m in the process of minimizing more so this is good to hear..glad that there can be a mindset change!
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Oh yes, I can’t wait to hear your progress and how you feel. If you want, I can share the vloggers that motivated me. Let me know.
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Yes, I’d love that – please do post your favorite vloggers that motivated you, I’m sure anyone else reading will benefit as well.
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Ok…Favorite minimalism bloggers are Gabe Bult, Joshua Becker, The Minimal Mom, Robyn Buchanan, Slice of Light. 🙂❤😉
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Thank you – excellent list!
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I don’t tend to accumulate a lot of stuff, and most of what I have is functional.
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That’s a good way to be – it keeps things simple. Thanks for stopping by!
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Never heard of Diderot before, this has happened many times to me before with one purchase leading to several others. I still accumulate stuff but am definitely becoming more mindful and long term about purchases. It is free-ing getting rid of stuff. I especially love putting stuff on Freecycle and seeing the happy face of the person who collects my unwanted stuff and can’t believe their luck that it’s free! But I think I’m the real winner living in my less cluttered house.
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Freecycle is great for getting rid of stuff in a responsible way..agree, you’re definitely winning with less clutter :)..I’m trying to be long term about purchases as well. It just feels better. Hope you’re having a good weekend!
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I haven’t accumulated much since I move frequently and the less stuff the easier. I also often have had roommates so typically outside my bedroom the places are furnished/functional without me need to add anything. I’m also a clean/tidy freak so more stuff is just more to move to dust/clean/put away.
Although I’m pretty sure the tale of Diderot is my dad’s life story. Ha. Maybe that also plays into a bit of my desire not to buy a bunch of stuff.
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It’s good that you haven’t been accumulating much – it can definitely add up and be a bit much to declutter. Thanks for stopping by!
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I try to keep my furniture surfaces clear. Countertops etc. Often fail, but try. But when I can succeed in having a clear surface, it tends to stay clear because it pains me to mess it up with stuff. But once the first thing is piled on, then I find that it’s easier just to dump…
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I find that to be true as well – clear countertops are motivating. Thanks for stopping by!
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Interesting blog! I hadn’t heard of Diderot but I like the idea of backwards decluttering!
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I have to remind myself of the Diderot effect, it can be quite easy to get caught up :)..Backwards decluttering is a good way to phrase reversing the effect! I like that. Thanks for stopping by – have a great week!
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