Learning Diderot's Lesson:

Chapter 6: Learning Diderot's Lesson: Stopping the Upward Creep of Desire
The final chapter includes nine points of advice for anyone wishing to escape from this consumerist mentality. These principles really cut to the chase of escaping consumerism. To avoid the pitfalls of Diderot requires a new consumer consciousness and behavior.
-Principle 1: Controlling Desire-
The first step in to avoid the Diderot effect is to become conscious of the process and the insidious ways it ensnares us. We must stay away from malls and other places where we may be tempted to spend. When we go to buy a product, we must think about the durability of it as well as how much more we will need in order to fulfill our purchase. Staying away from places we may feel the urge to spend is a good key idea.

-Principle 2: Creating a New Consumer Symbolism-
Whenever we see a symbol of excessive spending, like a nice car or insurance, look at it for what it truly is. It is for successful marketing. If we feel lust for an item, take a step back and ask yourself if you truly need this item in your life. Is this item truly worth your expense.

-Principle 3: Controlling Ourselves: Voluntary Restraints on Competitive Consumption-
We must not only encourage ourselves, but encourage our friends and the people in our social groups to put a stop to spending so much. We need to get involved in group decisions and talk about how we can spend less money as individuals. Most people are in the same situation you are. Therefore, we cannot be afraid to stand up and say something that might eventually help us out in the long run.

-Principle 4: Learning to Share: Both a Borrower and a Lender Be-
It sometimes seems hard to share expensive things. However, it does not hurt to let like your neighbor borrow a lownmower. It saves us money instead of going out to buy another one. For examoke, we should go out and rent items we might want to use. It saves us money and keeps us from making a huge purchase.

-Principle 5: Deconstruct the Commercial System: Becoming an Educated Consumer-
We need to deconstruct every ad we see. When you see a product you really want, research it and understand it before making that kind of a purchase. Because you never truly know how an item is by its looks.

-Principle 6: Avoid "Retail Therapy": Spending is Addictive-
Most of the time people feel the need to buy a new outfit for an event they were invited to. However, they already have clothes. If an event occurs like that, and one feels the need to make a purchase for the event, go do something else.

-Principle 7: Decommercialize the Rituals-
We cannot view holidays such as Halloween, Christmas or easter as a reason to shop. It is important that we are able to find other ways to enjoy and celebrate these events. Presents are not necessary in order to have a good time.

-Principle 8: Making Time: Is Work and Spend Working?-
It is important to have time to do the things we love in life. Therefore, we should always look for reasons to decrease our hours at work so we can increase the time doing things more valuable in our lives. Choosing items that do not involve spending and consumerism will still make us financially fine. It is important to keep our values in life closest to us.

-Principle 9: The Need for a Coordinated Intervention-
Helping others not spend as much money will make one feel better inside. We should get involved in organizations that focus on consumer issues and reducing spending. We need to look for solutions to this American issue.
There is still time left for a change and to turn away from letting money rule who you are. We need to be independent and not let what social group we are in determine the type of clothes we wear.