In this insightful conversation with Luke Burgis, author of "Wanting," we explore the fascinating dynamics of mimetic desire. Burgis explains how our wants are often shaped by those around us, particularly close friends and family, leading to rivalry and envy. He highlights the impact of social media on our perception of success, blurring the lines between celebrities and common individuals. By recognizing these influences, he encourages listeners to harness desire positively and opt out of unhealthy competition, focusing instead on constructive role models.
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insights INSIGHT
Mimetic Desire
Our desires, especially abstract ones, are shaped by others' desires.
These "models" influence our choices more than we realize.
insights INSIGHT
Girard's Discovery
René Girard discovered mimetic desire by observing characters in classic literature.
He found that their desires were always shaped by others, reflecting a hidden aspect of human nature.
insights INSIGHT
Celebristan vs. Freshmanistan
Two types of mimetic models exist: those distant from us (Celebristan) and those close to us (Freshmanistan).
Rivalry and conflict arise more from Freshmanistan models due to increased similarity and competition.
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In 'Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life,' Luke Burgis delves into the concept of mimetic desire, which is the tendency to imitate the desires of others. Drawing on the work of René Girard, Burgis explains how our desires are mediated by models and how this can lead to rivalry, conflict, and unfulfilling pursuits. The book distinguishes between 'thin' desires, which are superficial and mimetic, and 'thick' desires, which are deeper and more lasting. Burgis provides tactics for identifying and transforming these desires, such as creating a hierarchy of values, finding sources of wisdom that withstand mimesis, and practicing empathy. The book aims to help readers gain control over their desires and find more meaning in their lives by making intentional choices rather than blindly following mimetic forces.
Why do we want the things we want? While we'll offer up plenty of reasons to explain our choices, my guest today says the real reason we want what we want is this: other people in our lives want those same things.
His name is Luke Burgis and he's studied philosophy, theology, and classical literature, works as a business entrepreneur, investor, and educator, and is the author of Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. Luke and I discuss how our desires are strongly mimetic, that is, imitative, and how there are two groups of people that act as models of desire for us: celebrities and public figures who are distant from us, and friends, family, and colleagues who are close to us. Luke explains why it's actually that latter group where we experience the most rivalry and conflict, because the more similar we are, the more we end up competing for the same things, the more envy we experience, and the more we want to differentiate ourselves from the crowd, even though the areas in which to do so can be increasingly small. In fact, someone can be a model of desire, not only in influencing us to imitate them, but in motivating us to act in the opposite way. Luke shares how mimetic desire can be both a negative and destructive or a positive and productive force, and offers advice on how to harness it for the latter purpose by humbly recognizing the way other people are influencing our wants, and using that knowledge to opt out of games we don't want to play, utilize the healthy aspects of competition without allowing it to get us off track, and intentionally choose worthy, even transcendent, models of desire to emulate.
The Art of Manliness 
