“Of Course That’s A Thing!”: 50 Of The Silliest Things That Have Ever Been Made (New Pics)

There once lived a man who spent almost his entire life in poverty. When his daughter was due to marry in 1765, he could not afford the dowry. Fortunately, this man happened to be very well-known. And when Russia's emperor Catherine the Great heard of his predicament, she came to the rescue.

The famous man we're talking about was French philosopher Denis Diderot. He was the co-founder and writer of Encyclopédie, one of the most comprehensive encyclopedias of the time. Catherine the Great bought his library for what would be the equivalent of more than $304,500 in today's money. And suddenly, the once-poor Diderot didn't have to worry about counting pennies again.

But with his newfound wealth came a whole different set of problems...

One of Diderot's first purchases was a scarlet robe. Little did he know that the robe would be the beginning of a never-ending cycle of buying things he didn't really need.

"Diderot’s scarlet robe was beautiful. So beautiful, in fact, that he immediately noticed how out of place it seemed when surrounded by the rest of his common possessions," writes James Clear, author of bestseller book, Atomic Habits. "In his words, there was 'no more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty' between his robe and the rest of his items."

It wasn't long before the philosopher felt the urge to buy some new things to match the beauty of his robe.

Diderot replaced his old rug with a new one from Damascus. He then bought beautiful sculptures and a better kitchen table. He also purchased a new mirror to place above the mantle, and as Clear writes, his “straw chair was relegated to the antechamber by a leather chair.”

The once poverty-stricken philosopher had entered a vicious cycle... and he couldn't stop buying more stuff. It's a situation many of us have found ourselves in. And it's become known as the Diderot Effect.

"The Diderot Effect states that obtaining a new possession often creates a spiral of consumption which leads you to acquire more new things," Clear explains. "As a result, we end up buying things that our previous selves never needed to feel happy or fulfilled."

Think of it as reactive buying... For example, you buy a new dress and now you need shoes and earrings to match. You sign up for a gym membership and soon you’re paying for new sneakers, protein shakes, and workout clothes. Or you buy a new dining room table and realize your old chairs don't look quite right around it. So you purchase new chairs. And while you're at it, a new rug, vase, placemats, dinner plates, and cutlery. Now you need to look for a new sofa to pull the whole open-plan look together.

Clear says it is possible to break the consumerism curse. Step One is to reduce your exposure to 'stuff.'

"Nearly every habit is initiated by a trigger or cue," he explains. "One of the quickest ways to reduce the power of the Diderot Effect is to avoid the habit triggers that cause it in the first place. Unsubscribe from commercial emails. Call the magazines that send you catalogs and opt out of their mailings. Meet friends at the park rather than the mall. Block your favorite shopping websites..."

Another tip is to buy items that fit your current system. For example, purchase clothes that work well with the garments you already have. Or when getting tech gadgets, do it in a way that doesn't involve buying new chargers, adapters, or cables. If your tattered sofa needs an upgrade, make sure the new one suits your space and your decor.

Set self-imposed limits, adds Clear. "Live a carefully constrained life by creating limitations for you to operate within."

Clear also advises implementing a "Buy One, Give One" rule.

Basically, each time you purchase something, give something else away. "The idea is to prevent your number of items from growing," the expert writes. "Always be curating your life to include only the things that bring you joy and happiness."

You can also try going one month without buying anything new. Unless it's absolutely necessary, of course...

Instead of buying a new lawn mower, rent one from a neighbor, suggests Clear. Instead of buying books, go to the library. Grab a second-hand dress from the thrift store rather than the department store. "The more we restrict ourselves, the more resourceful we become," Clear says.

Clear says that there will never be a level where you will be done wanting things. "There is always something to upgrade to," he writes. "Get a new Honda? You can upgrade to a Mercedes. Get a new Mercedes? You can upgrade to a Bentley. Get a new Bentley? You can upgrade to a Ferrari. Get a new Ferrari? Have you thought about buying a private plane?"

The expert adds that the trick is to realize that wanting is just an option your mind provides, not an order you have to follow.