Diderot Effect

 

I have to credit Pastor John Schultz of St. John Lutheran Church in Plymouth for introducing me to something called the Diderot Effect.  I had never heard of this but after reading more about it, it seems incredibly applicable to several aspects of today’s world.

Named after a French philosopher, Denis Diderot, the story is the following:  after living his entire life impoverished and struggling to get by, in 1763, Catherine the Great offered him a large sum of money in exchange for his library. (Diderot founded Encyclopédie and was a notoriously well-read man.) Upon receiving the money, he purchased a new scarlet robe...but then he simply wanted more.  And more.  And more.

Rather than feeling content and grateful for what he was given, Diderot fell into a spiral of dissatisfaction. At one point, he wrote that there was “no more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty” in his life, because the scarlet robe was so out-of-place in comparison to rest of his humble belongings. So he began to acquire more, slowly sifting through every part of his life until he was drowning in excess and luxury and debt and, most importantly, dissatisfaction.

While it’s something I still occasionally struggle with, I have grown in my ability to appreciate what I have in the present moment, rather than asking myself “what’s next” or what more do I need?  Recent articles of mine talked about going longer and farther than I ever had in running events.  That may seem to be conflicting with this article, but what I know is that I found great satisfaction in those moments, but did not find myself thinking about how I could do better next year at those events, or how I want to find the next opportunity to go longer and farther and on a more difficult course, etc.  I just truly appreciate those experiences, and much more than that, the people who were a part of it.

It’s a simple concept, but it isn’t easy.  Especially right now, I’m sure I’m not the only person wondering who is BUYING all this stuff?!  New cars, Used cars, New home construction…and now as we approach the Christmas season, I can’t even imagine what is to come for the supply chain and the local mail service deliverers.

The same is true for your health.  Every day there is a new bright and shiny drug or treatment or device that will help you feel better, have less pain, finally lose some weight, finally find the ‘cure’ to whatever disease you are fighting.  There is a “Diderot Effect” to our health care system, in my opinion.  In the treatment of Covid there have been a nauseating amount of ‘news stories’ about which treatments are effective, and which are not.  About who should get what treatment, and about how EVERYONE should be vaccinated.  And now not just vaccinated, but also receiving boosters.  More and more and more.

I think back to 2016, to a good example of the Diderot Effect in the pharmaceutical world.  It was during the Super Bowl that an ad was aired that highlighted the problem of “Opioid Induced Constipation.”  Yes. Of all the issues that opioids contribute to in our world, there was an ad addressing constipation as a result of opoids.  I remember thinking that perhaps this was satire or a parody.  It wasn’t.  And the commercial was actually for another drug that you could take, to help remedy your opioid induced constipation.  It was an ad for a drug that you could take, to help you with constipation that was being caused by a drug that you took for pain relief.  There is a lot of money in pharmaceuticals and Super Bowl Commercials, but there are simpler solutions to both of those problems.

Just as I previously mentioned that it’s a process of getting back to basics with my personal goals of being present and keeping life simple and reminding myself of priorities, it is also that way with your health.  No matter the condition, you can weigh the odds in your favor through nutrition, exercise, and through proper stress management.  Whether it’s mental stress or physical stress or emotional stress, our bodies react the same way.  And when it’s a chronic stress and inflammatory environment in our bodies, its’ more difficult to fight off infection or disease.

No matter what narrative is pushed or what information is actually labeled “misinformation” by the so-called “Experts”, the following is true:  Nutrition and Exercise are the absolute best ways to keep yourself healthy.  Vitamin D levels are important (and can be measured with a blood test).  Aerobic-level cardio activities are important too.  Get out and move.  And musculoskeletal care is essential as well.  The better and more efficiently your body moves, the better it can self-heal and self-regulate itself and maintain health.  Avoid the scarlet robes and seek true health!