The “Diderot Effect” Turns You Into a Weak, Mindless Consumer

I once bought a rug. It was pretty, it was on sale, and I said what the heck, it’s only $20, and took it home and put it on my floor. Days later, I bought new pillows; the old ones didn’t match the rug. Before I knew it, I’d also bought new plants, a chair, and a ton of other accessories. That $20 spiraled into hundreds of dollars worth of new stuff. This is the Diderot Effect in action.