What is Mimetic Desire?
Who writes about it + what do they say?
Application
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Summary 🎧
1. What is Mimetic Desire?
Mimetic Desire is a philosophical theory that grapples with cycles of wanting, rivalry, and ultimately scapegoating that play out on an individual, interpersonal, and global level.
2. Who writes about it + what do they say?
This theory is most frequently attributed to the French philosopher René Girard.
Girard summarized: "Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires."1
I’ve also included 2 Substack creators plus a friend and film maker below in section 4 who either highlight or specialize in Mimetic Desire and Rivalry.
3. Application
So what do we do? How do we find happiness in this toxic, skewed culture?
I will provide you with two different approaches among scholars, and conclude with my own personal mantra.
Some students of Memetic Desire posit that there are both positive and negative elements to the phenomenon.
The negative aspects might be more intuitive—because we are all influenced to desire the same, finite resources, we naturally find ourselves in competition and rivalry for those resources, leading to violence both interpersonally and internationally.
On the positive side, we actually tend to bond when cooperating in the joint pursuit of those finite resources, and history is filled with countless examples of societies that highlight this potential.
Other scholars lean toward a strain of thought often referred to as “Anti-Mimetic.”
This camp tends to see mimetic behavior as almost categorically dangerous and inevitably leading to rivalry and scapegoating. In this approach, overcoming mimetic desire is the primary focus.
To put it another way, one approach focuses on integration, the other deconstruction.
My approach?
Feel
Want
Know
This is only my personal response, and you can read more about that in the Summary section below.
4. Click for more
is one of the most interesting contemporary writers covering Anti-Mimetic concepts. He distills and analyzes the intricacies of a mimetic world in very accessible ways. is an excellent archivist of the ways that Mimetic Theory and desire has played out in art and culture. She also recently published a fictional book that succinctly and creatively captures the seduction of Mimetic Desire.Finally, my good friend and filmmaker Billy Price has made dozens of short films for his organization unRival.Network, which highlights the ways in which we can remake the world in the shadow of Mimetic Desire and the ensuing Rivalry. Check out one of his recent shorts below!
5.Summary 🎧
While there are many important responses to Mimetic Desire (only some of which are highlighted above), I am looking forward to sharing my own experience with the phenomenon.
The thoughts below represent practical everyday wisdom that I’ve gleaned from a few people I trust and admire.
Feel: The first step is to know what you are feeling at any given moment. To notice, without judgement what emotions, sensations, and thoughts are arising.
This is best practiced through meditation. A meditation without striving or purpose, simply a time to sit and observe. Or do something mindless, and observe.
Want: If we become students of how feel, we can slowly replace desire with wanting.
I define desire as external and wanting as internal.
Desire is out-to-in, wanting is in-to-out.
Someone I very much admire once told me, “there are only two question you need to find enlightenment: how do I feel, what do I want.”
Another way to think about this could also be along the lines of integration. Wanting in this sense is less opposed to desire, as much as it is desire fully examined.Know: If you can develop a personal practice that makes space for feeling and wanting, suddenly you know what to do.
With much love friends, until next time,
Matt
Girard, "Generative Scapegoating", in Robert G. Hammerton-Kelly, eds., Violent Origins: Walter Burkert, René Girard, and Jonathan Z. Smith on Ritual Killing and Cultural Formation, p. 122.