{"id":89987,"date":"2023-01-26T12:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-26T16:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=89987"},"modified":"2023-01-27T12:00:57","modified_gmt":"2023-01-27T16:00:57","slug":"what-is-mimetic-desire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/what-is-mimetic-desire\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Mimetic Desire? Origins & Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What is mimetic desire? Where did the theory originate? What are some examples of mimetic desire?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Wanting<\/em>, Luke Burgis explores the ideas of Ren\u00e9 Girard, an academic whose theory of \u201cmimetic desire\u201d seeks to explain where our desires originate. According to Girard\u2019s theory, we don\u2019t form our own desires\u2014rather, we imitate what other people want or have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about what mimetic desire is, its origins, and examples in our daily lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is Mimetic Desire?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Wanting<\/em>, author Luke Burgis explains what mimetic desire is by going back to its origins\u2014Ren\u00e9 Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire states that most of our desires are mimetic, <\/em>meaning we mimic what others<\/em> want or have. <\/strong>\u201cMimetic\u201d comes from the Greek word mimesthai,<\/em> meaning \u201cto imitate.\u201d Girard defines desires as objects or experiences we want<\/em> rather than biologically need. <\/em>We need<\/em> basics such as food, water, safety, and shelter. After meeting these needs, we want<\/em> things such as a nice home and supportive colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: While Burgis describes how Girard distinguishes needs from desires, he doesn\u2019t explore examples of cravings we have that fail to neatly fit into either category. For instance, is it possible to need<\/em> food as well as desire<\/em> food? If it\u2019s your goal to only eat fresh, organic ingredients, is that a need<\/em> or a desire? <\/em>It\u2019s unclear whether Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire applies to ambiguous cases such as these.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Many of Our Desires Are Mimetic?<\/strong>

In his summary of Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire, Burgis claims that most<\/em> of our desires are mimetic. However, according to other experts on this theory, Girard argued that all<\/em> desires are mimetic<\/a>. Many critics of Girard\u2019s theory question the idea that all or even most of our desires are mimetic. Let\u2019s explore some of these critics\u2019 arguments.

One critic argues that Girard offers ample anecdotes supporting his theory but fails to share empirical<\/em> evidence<\/a> supporting his idea that so many of our desires are mimetic. According to this critic, Girard\u2019s anecdotes suggest that mimetic desire exists<\/em> but fail to provide sufficient evidence that mimetic desire is as influential as Girard claims. 

Another critic argues that we should be skeptical of any<\/em> theory, such as Girard\u2019s theory, that attempts to explain a majority (or even all) of human behavior<\/a>. According to this critic, theories that smooth out life\u2019s complexities under a single explanation can promote ignorance. People who study and fully accept Girard\u2019s theory may believe they know the secret workings of everything. This could inspire an inflated, unearned sense of confidence and cause them to overlook other influences on our desires. Later, we\u2019ll explore some of these other influences.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Origins of Girard\u2019s Theory<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

How did Girard come up with his theory of mimetic desire? According to Burgis, Girard\u2019s diversity of experiences and interests gave him unique perspectives on human nature. <\/strong>Girard, who immigrated from France to the US following World War II, spent his life teaching university classes and publishing books across a wide variety of subject areas, such as history, philosophy, anthropology, and literature. Because he studied so many topics, he noticed common themes about human desire in everything from ancient texts to modern history. He developed these themes into his theory of mimetic desire, and in 1961 he published these ideas in his first book, Deceit, Desires, and the Novel<\/em><\/a>. Girard continued to develop and share his theory of mimetic desire until his death in 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: There\u2019s a name for the type of thinking that Burgis claims led Girard to develop his theory: syntopical <\/em>thinking. <\/em>Syntopical thinking is when you analyze and synthesize ideas by comparing a variety of texts. The term \u201csyntopical\u201d comes from Mortimer Adler and Charles Van Doren, who explore syntopical thinking\u2014specifically syntopical reading<\/em>\u2014in How to Read a Book<\/em><\/a>. They provide strategies for engaging in this complex type of reading and thinking. For example, after reading several books on a single topic, notice how different authors use different terms to describe the same concept. Next, come up with your own term for that concept<\/a>. This exercise pushes you to synthesize concepts from multiple texts.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Theory of Mimetic Desire Rejects Widely Held Beliefs<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s unique about Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire? First, let\u2019s explore what most<\/em> people think is the source of our desires. According to Burgis, most people believe that we generate our <\/strong>own<\/em><\/strong> desires.<\/strong> Either these desires arise spontaneously from within us (such as the sudden urge to make someone laugh) or from our rational thinking (such as pursuing a desire that supports your financial health).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Burgis, Girard\u2019s theory rejects this widely held belief that we generate our own desires: <\/strong>Your desires don\u2019t arise spontaneously\u2014they come from someone else. Even if you think your reasons for desiring something are rational, you actually<\/em> desire it because someone else desires it or already has it. Girard based these ideas on his observations about character motives in literature as well as what he learned about human behavior through studying anthropology, sociology, and psychology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, imagine you want to move to the city. You may think <\/em>you desire this because you\u2019ve rationally weighed the pros and cons of city life<\/a> and determined moving to the city is best for your budget and life goals. However, according to Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire, you desire city life simply because people you admire live in cities, and you want what they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Influences on Our Desires<\/strong>

As we explored earlier, critics of Girard\u2019s theory question the idea that all (or even most) of our desires are mimetic. Let\u2019s explore their claims that other<\/em> sources also influence our desires.

Some critics of Girard\u2019s theory argue that rational thinking and personal taste shape our desires<\/strong>, supporting the widely held belief that we generate at least some of our desires ourselves. These critics claim that we sometimes pursue desires for rational reasons and because of our personal preferences instead of <\/em>pursuing what others want or have<\/a>. Such instances demonstrate that non-mimetic sources of desire can override mimetic sources. For instance, even though all of your friends live in the city, you might decide to stay in your rural home because it\u2019s better for your budget (a rational reason) and because you prefer quiet, rural spaces (a personal preference).

Rational thinking and personal taste may not be the only other sources of our desires. According to many psychologists, childhood also shapes our desires. <\/strong>In Radical Acceptance<\/em><\/a>,<\/em> psychologist and meditation<\/a> expert Tara Brach claims that adults\u2019 desires often come from their unfulfilled childhood needs<\/a>. For instance, you might desire fame and attention as an adult because your parents didn\u2019t give you enough attention as a child.

By overlooking influences on our desires such as our rational thinking, personal taste, and unmet childhood needs, Girard\u2019s theory and Burgis\u2019s interpretation of it might fail to provide you with strategies for navigating every<\/em> type of desire.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why Do We Mimic Others\u2019 Desires?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to Girard\u2019s theory of mimetic desire, we mimic others\u2019 desires for two main reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reason 1: Humans Are Hard-Wired to Mimic Others<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

First, mimetic desire governs our behavior because we\u2019re hard-wired to mimic others<\/strong>. Burgis explains that because humans are social creatures, mimicry is part of almost everything we do. He provides two pieces of evidence supporting this idea that we\u2019re hard-wired to mimic others:<\/p>\n\n\n\n