How I Exercise Consistently Thanks to A French Philosopher
Here’s a fun thought: What do modern shoppers and an 18th-century French philosopher have in common?
Turns out, quite a lot—especially when it comes to buying habits and a fascinating phenomenon called the Diderot Effect.
The Diderot Effect and the Scarlet Robe
I first stumbled upon the Diderot Effect in James Clear’s phenomenal book, Atomic Habits (which I highly recommend). One of the book’s most intriguing anecdotes revolves around the French philosopher Denis Diderot.
Diderot was the chief editor, co-founder, and contributor of the Encyclopédie. Despite his intellectual contributions, he lived in poverty for most of his life. At one point, he couldn’t even afford to pay for his daughter’s wedding.
That changed when Catherine the Great, an admirer of Diderot’s work, purchased his entire personal library for a hefty sum.
Suddenly, Diderot found himself with a windfall of cash. And like many of us would, he decided to splurge.
His first purchase? An elegant scarlet robe.
But here’s where things got interesting. The robe’s elegance made Diderot realize that his old rug no longer matched its sophistication.
So, he bought a luxurious Damascus rug. Soon, everything else in his home began to feel outdated compared to his new possessions.
Sound familiar? It’s like when you go shopping for a pair of pants and think, “This shirt would go perfectly with these,” followed by, “I could use new shoes too—and they’re on sale!”
Before you know it, you’re walking out of the store with two full outfits and a membership card you’ll probably forget about in a week.
So, What’s the Point?
At this point, you might be wondering: How does this relate to exercise? It all comes down to a chain of events triggered by a single cue.
A cue is essentially a signal that prompts your brain to initiate an action. For Diderot, the cue was his new scarlet robe, which led him to upgrade everything else in his home.
This phenomenon, now known as the Diderot Effect, reveals a lot about human behavior—particularly our buying habits.
But let’s focus on how we can use this concept to our advantage by stacking positive habits.
James Clear calls this Habit Stacking—tying one habit to another to create a chain of actions that benefit you in the long run.
Think of it as putting your brain on autopilot.
For example, a typical morning routine might look like this:
Wake up
Check your phone
Scroll through social media
Finally get out of bed
You don’t think twice about checking your phone because your brain is on autopilot. This chain of actions is habit stacking in action.
So, why not use it to build better habits?
What I Did
Like Diderot’s scarlet robe, my cue to start the day is opening the curtains and window to let in light and fresh air. Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I decided to build a consistent workout routine.
Let me tell you, the internal battle of whether to exercise or not was real. More often than not, the voice saying, “Just start tomorrow,” won during the first few weeks.
But eventually, I found a system that worked. It all boiled down to three things:
Opening the window
Workout shorts
Morning energy
I noticed that my energy and motivation levels were highest in the morning and dwindled as the day went on. So, I needed a concrete cue to signal to my brain: It’s morning—time to work out.
Here’s what I did:
My bedroom has a large window, and to open it, I have to walk across the room.
Conveniently, there are clothing hooks right beside the window.
Every night, I’d hang a fresh set of workout shorts on those hooks.
Now, every morning when I open the window, I see the workout shorts—a physical reminder of my goal to exercise. By tying this new habit to something I already do (opening the window), I created a seamless routine.
Honestly, Diderot probably never imagined his spending habits would become a lesson in building better routines. But habits, whether good or bad, shape our lives.
The Diderot Effect shows how unchecked habits can spiral out of control—but it also demonstrates how the right habits can lead to a healthier, more productive lifestyle.
Conclusion
Every day, we’re bombarded with decisions that move us closer to or further from our goals. Many of these decisions happen automatically, triggered by simple cues—like a new piece of clothing or a pair of workout shorts.
At the end of the day, habits shape our actions.
The question is: Do you control your habits, or do they control you?
So, what’s your scarlet robe?
What small cue can you use to start building a chain of positive habits?
The power to change is in your hands—or, in this case, on your clothing hook.
