Luke Burgis reveals how mimetic desire shapes what we want, introducing a blind spot most founders have. Learn to recognize when you're imitating others' desires instead of pursuing authentic goals.
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Wanting
Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life by Luke Burgis draws on the work of French philosopher René Girard to explore how we unconsciously imitate what others want, leading to conflict, unfulfillment, and poor decisions. Named a Financial Times Business Book of the Month.
Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur, teacher, and director of programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America. He has founded and led multiple companies and teaches classical philosophy and theology.
We learn to want what other people want.
Desire is not intrinsic—it's mimetic (imitated). We model our desires on others, often unconsciously, leading us to want things not because we truly value them, but because others do.
We think we desire objects directly. In reality, we desire them because a model desires them.
Celebratory Models (external mediators):
Rivalrous Models (internal mediators):
Founders often:
This leads to:
Mimetic desire drives:
To escape mimetic competition:
Burgis shares a college experiment where he offered extra credit for completing 15 tasks. Despite having unlimited budget, most students chose the same 3-4 tasks. Why? They copied each other's desires, assuming the most popular tasks were most valuable.
Lesson: We miss opportunities by imitating others instead of thinking independently.
Social media supercharges mimetic desire:
Relates to:
Understanding mimetic desire helps:
René Girard observed:
Burgis makes these insights accessible and applicable.
Available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats at standard retail prices.
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