Wanting The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life Luke Burgis

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WantingThe Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday LifeLuke Burgis

We spend a lot of time planning how to achieve the things we want, such as professional and relationship goals—but we rarely consider why we want those things. In Wanting, Luke Burgis aims to fill this gap by exploring the ideas of René Girard, an academic whose theory of "mimetic desire" seeks to explain where our desires originate. According to Girard’s theory, we don’t form our own desires—rather, we imitate what other people want or have. Burgis argues that increasing your awareness of mimetic desire will empower you to pursue life’s most meaningful desires.

In this guide, we’ll explore Girard’s theory of mimetic desire and share Burgis’s ideas on how to apply this theory to your life. You’ll learn how to push both yourself and others to chase meaningful desires instead of misleading ones. Along the way, we’ll compare Burgis’s ideas to those of other experts on desire. We’ll also supplement Burgis’s strategies with actionable steps, such as how to set boundaries with people who model misleading desires.

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