René Girard’s Mimetic Theory Changed The Way I Looked At My Own Desires.
Burgis breaks down the theories behind mimetic desire and the teachings of René Girard, why all of our behaviors are imitative, why we desire things we don’t need, and why this all leads to missing out on aspects of life that are far more meaningful and valuable.
Farnam Street • Luke Burgis: The Power of Mimetic Desire [The Knowledge Project Ep. #138]
We have instinctual responses to help us choose the objects that meet our most basic needs—when we’re hungry, we seek food; when we’re cold, we want warmth. But there is an entire universe of desires for which we have no instinctual basis for choosing one object or another. For these objects of desire, Girard saw that the most important factor in
... See moreLuke Burgis • Why Everyone Wants the Same Things
Girard believes that the way we go about choosing which objects to go after is by imitating those whom we already consider possessing this fullness of being (celebrities, parents, entrepreneurs, etc.)