Just a moment...
The assumption that my desires are all my own—this story that I tell myself—is what the French social scientist René Girard calls “The Romantic Lie.” The Lie is that I want things independently, or that I choose all of the objects of my desire out of some secret desire chamber in my heart. I know a good thing when I see it; I know what’s desirable ... See more
read.lukeburgis.com • Mimetic Desire 101 - Anti-Mimetic—A Field Guide to Mimetic Desire
Someone with strong underlying values – whether they be religious or philosophical or have another basis – is usually less susceptible to the winds of unhealthy or temporary mimetic desires that lack substance.
Aeon • How to Know What You Really Want | Psyche Guides
Mimetic desire operates in the dark. Those who can see in the dark take full advantage.
Luke Burgis • Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life
What caused this, I later realized upon reading Luke Burgis’s book Wanting, is something called mimetic desire. The idea that whatever those around you model as being valuable and important, you unconsciously find yourself caring about and wanting, too. Whether it’s as simple as a fashion choice, like a wristwatch, or as complex as a meaningless pr
... See moreAndrew Wilkinson • Never Enough
Throughout the millennia and across cultures, those who have thought carefully about desire have drawn the conclusion that spending our days working to get whatever it is we find ourselves wanting is unlikely to bring us either happiness or tranquility.
William B. Irvine • A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy
