@philosophyminis: There is a feature on Amazon which lets you see how far you have changed. If you look back at your past orders, you will see all of the things you have ever bought - your first CD with your childhood money, all the way up to those sensible shoes you bought last month. And as you reflect back on how your taste in music, and films, in books, and décor has changed, you can see how you have changed too. Because what we buy reflects who we are, but it also defines who we are as well. And this is known as the Diderot effect. In his essay Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown, Diderot reminisces about the time he bought a very showy and expensive dressing gown. For Diderot, when he wore the gown, he felt like he was suddenly a different kind of person — the kind of person who spends far too much on loungewear. And so suddenly, everything in the room, in life, is tawdry and bland. The shoes, those curtains, that wallpaper - it's not fitting for somebody with such an opulent dressing gown. The point is that when we attain some status or some luxury product, it changes how we make future decisions. What we wear, and what we buy, defines who we are. And that identity goes on to define how we interact with the world. Philosophers often take a disparaging view of our material possessions, but the point is that what we wear, and what we buy, is important in defining us. From your childhood teddy bear to that expensive watch, the things you buy not only tell the world who you are, they tell you who you are as well.

Jonny Thomson

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Sunday 28 December 2025 13:01:29 GMT