Wanting

About the Author

Luke Burgis is a multifaceted individual—a writer, entrepreneur, and educator who has spent years dissecting the complexities of human desire. His fascination with how our wants are shaped led him to write "Wanting", his debut book published in 2021. Burgis draws heavily from the works of René Girard, whose theory of mimetic desire fundamentally altered our understanding of human motivation. Burgis’s background is as diverse as the subjects he explores; he’s a former CEO of a wellness company, a mentor to aspiring entrepreneurs, and an educator who blends practical business knowledge with deep psychological insights. This eclectic mix of experiences allows him to approach the subject of desire with both theoretical rigor and practical wisdom, making his insights not just intellectually stimulating but also deeply applicable to everyday life.

Main Idea

At the heart of "Wanting" is the revolutionary idea that many of our desires are not born from within us but are instead borrowed from those around us. This concept, known as mimetic desire, was first proposed by the philosopher René Girard, and Burgis brings it into the modern context with a blend of anecdotal evidence, psychological research, and philosophical discourse. The book argues that by understanding how mimetic desire shapes our lives, we can learn to distinguish between desires that are meaningful and those that are misleading. In doing so, we can take control of our wants and lead a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life. Burgis’s message is both empowering and cautionary, urging readers to become more aware of the invisible forces that drive their decisions.

Table of Contents

• Introduction: The Invisible Power of Mimetic Desire
• Part 1: The Origins of Mimetic Desire
• What is Mimetic Desire?
• The Birth of a Theory: René Girard
• Why We Mimic Others’ Desires
• Part 2: The Impact of Mimetic Desire
• Competitive Relationships
• Pursuing Misleading Desires
• Societal Consequences
• Part 3: Cultivating Meaningful Desires
• Identifying Meaningful Desires
• Following Models of Meaningful Desires
• Supporting Others in Their Pursuit

The Origins of Mimetic Desire

What is Mimetic Desire?

Mimetic desire is the concept that much of what we want is not the result of our personal preferences or rational decision-making but is instead an imitation of the desires of others. The term "mimetic" comes from the Greek word mimesthai, meaning "to imitate." According to Burgis, and based on the work of René Girard, mimetic desire suggests that our desires are largely shaped by external influences, often without our conscious awareness. This theory challenges the commonly held belief that we are the authors of our desires, proposing instead that our wants are heavily influenced by the people around us.

This idea forces us to reconsider how we view our goals and ambitions. For instance, we might believe that our desire to achieve a certain career milestone comes from a genuine passion or interest. However, mimetic theory suggests that this desire may have originated because someone we admire or envy has pursued the same goal. This realization can be both liberating and unsettling—it frees us from the illusion of autonomy in our desires but also challenges us to question the authenticity of what we think we want.

“Our desires do not arise spontaneously—they come from someone else.” - Luke Burgis

The Birth of a Theory: René Girard

René Girard was a 20th-century philosopher whose work spanned literature, anthropology, sociology, and religious studies. His theory of mimetic desire emerged from his broad study of human culture and behavior. Girard observed that imitation plays a central role in shaping human desires, a pattern he noticed while studying literature and history. He posited that rather than desiring things for their intrinsic qualities, we often want them because others do. This insight led Girard to develop his theory of mimetic desire, which he first introduced in his 1961 book Deceit, Desire, and the Novel. Girard’s work has had a profound impact on various fields, influencing thinkers across disciplines.

Burgis takes Girard’s foundational ideas and brings them into the present day, applying them to contemporary issues such as consumerism, social media influence, and the pervasive sense of envy in modern society. By doing so, Burgis makes Girard’s abstract theories accessible and relevant to a broader audience, showing how they can help us understand the underlying forces that shape our lives.