According to French thinker Bernays Gerard, humans are creatures who don't know what they want. We rely on others to help us decide. This concept, known as memetic desire, means that we imitate the desires of those around us. Gerard believes that this imitation goes beyond surface level and influences our own desires on a deeper level.
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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