The IKEA Effect

Last week, I gave the d'var torah (short talk about the week's Torah reading) at Friday night services. I always have a minor level of anxiety when tasked with giving a d'var, but had an idea in the back of my mind that I wanted to pursue for this week. And pursue I did. 

The reading for last weekend dealt with the building of the mishkan, the temporary "temple" the Israelites used in the desert. It was a ready to build and take apart type structure and their first holy site for worshiping God. 

Where am I going with this?

Well. Ever since I was younger and learning about this reading, I thought about IKEA furniture. The idea of it being easy to put together and easy to take apart and move. I naturally had to connect my words of Torah to my love of IKEA - and if I dare say...it worked. 

The coolest thing I learned in my writing of the d'var? There is a documented effect called the "IKEA Effect"- it is the documented sense of accomplishment that comes from standing back and seeing what we've assembled on our own. 

Now, besides the pride I have over the d'var I wrote for last week, I totally believe this effect is real. 99.8% of my apartment is IKEA furniture (even kitchen gadgets and cookware...). I put it all together. I have so much pride in my little home. 

Every time I open my dresser to get some socks I think of how I was exhausted from moving, but I stuck with it and put that darn thing together (and that 3 years later it still stands, solidly!).

I may be exhausted when I climb into bed each night, but I love knowing that my determination and patience are what allow me to sleep soundly each night.

I love to read. I love IKEA. I love knowing that I put each Billy or Expedit in my apartment together.

It's only a coffee table, but I put it together (in record time, too).

To paraphrase what I wrote in my d'var:  "The creation of something from basic materials that before weren’t considered to be special seems to increase one's confidence."

I stand back and see an apartment that I built. I know it's mine, and I love that feeling. IKEA may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I bet if you reflect, you'll find a time when you experienced the "IKEA Effect." A time when you did something for yourself and the had that amazing sense of pride and accomplishment afterwards. It's pretty remarkable, isn't it?