Mimetic Desire
Girard's theory that human desires are not autonomous, but imitated from social models who mediate value.
From Ancient Greek 'mimetikos' (imitative), from 'mimeisthai' (to imitate) + Latin 'desiderare' (to long for).
Comprehensive Usage Guide
Dual Nuance AnalysisRene Girard's anthropological theory that human beings do not desire autonomously; rather, we imitate what others desire through social models.
“He had no organic interest in vintage watches until his colleagues' mimetic desire turned collecting into a fierce competition.”
Explains how algorithmically amplified social feeds orchestrate synthetic consensus, fashion stampedes, and speculative asset bubbles.
“The NFT frenzy was pure mimetic desire: participants bought jpegs not for aesthetic delight, but because their peers coveted them.”
Every Mention on the Site
Automated concordance indexing every citation, essay, and field note referencing Mimetic Desire
In Defense of Reworked Concepts: Karaoke, Folk Traditions, and Imperfect Replication
...-music karaoke creativity open-source culture entertainment mimesis In Defense of Reworked Concepts: Karaoke, Folk Traditions, and Imperfect Replication The...
"mimesis"Read Full Context Age Gap Relationships: How Laws and Opinions Shifted and What Got Lost
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context Harm Reduction Sandboxes: Medical Cannabis Substitution, Alcohol Cessation & Neurobiological Impulse Regulation
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context Streetwear and Tailoring Synthesis: How Utilitarian Workwear and Skate Counterculture Colonized Bespoke Luxury
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context The Lab: Designing Non-Alcoholic Nightlife, Nootropic Elixirs & Pop-Up Experiential Lounges
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context The Vice Audit: A Field Assessment of Alcohol, Cannabis, Gambling, and Strip Clubs
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context Dionysus in the Age of Synthetic Dopamine: A Stoic Critique of Modern Vice
...monetize human yearning and emotional vulnerability; while Mimetic Desire demonstrates why societal consensus dictates relationship paradigms and envy rather than...
"Mimetic Desire"Read Full Context