We had Brett on the podcast a few years ago to talk about your book Wanting. It introduces readers to a theory of why we want the things we want. And this theory is called memetic desire, and it's at the root of human culture. We choose sometimes what to pay attention to based on what other people are paying attention to as well.
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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