Rene Girard, the guy who came up with this whole idea of mimetic desire in theory, he once used the phrase political atheist. So you've been grappling like, what did he mean by this? What is a political atheist? You've never heard those two words together. But I would say that it's a, it's kind of a desacralization of worldly politics. And in my opinion, American politics have become incredibly sacralized.
The last time we had entrepreneur, professor, and author Luke Burgis on the show, he discussed the concept of mimetic desire, which says that we want the things we want because other people want them. Since that time, Luke has continued to explore the idea of mimesis, and how to resist its negative consequences, in his Substack: Anti-Mimetic. Today on the show, Luke and I dig into these ideas and discuss ways we can step outside the tempo, cadences, and priorities that the world would foist upon us and establish our own rhythms for our lives. Luke unpacks what it means to have “thick desires” and become a “political atheist” and how these concepts can help you live a more anti-mimetic life.
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