Why Do We Want What We Want?

Why Do We Want What We Want?

Why do we want the things we want? While we'll offer up plenty of reasons to explain our choices, my guest today says the real reason we want what we want is this: other people in our lives want those same things.

His name is Luke Burgis and he's studied philosophy, theology, and classical literature, works as a business entrepreneur, investor, and educator, and is the author of Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. Luke and I discuss how our desires are strongly mimetic, that is, imitative, and how there are two groups of people that act as models of desire for us: celebrities and public figures who are distant from us, and friends, family, and colleagues who are close to us. Luke explains why it's actually that latter group where we experience the most rivalry and conflict, because the more similar we are, the more we end up competing for the same things, the more envy we experience, and the more we want to differentiate ourselves from the crowd, even though the areas in which to do so can be increasingly small. In fact, someone can be a model of desire, not only in influencing us to imitate them, but in motivating us to act in the opposite way. Luke shares how mimetic desire can be both a negative and destructive or a positive and productive force, and offers advice on how to harness it for the latter purpose by humbly recognizing the way other people are influencing our wants, and using that knowledge to opt out of games we don't want to play, utilize the healthy aspects of competition without allowing it to get us off track, and intentionally choose worthy, even transcendent, models of desire to emulate.

Get the show notes at aom.is/wanting.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Avsnitt(1160)

Episode #41: The Gentlemen and the Roughs with Dr. Lorien Foote

Episode #41: The Gentlemen and the Roughs with Dr. Lorien Foote

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast!A few months ago we did a massive series on the history of manly honor in the West. In one of the posts, we explored what honor meant to...

4 Apr 201421min

Episode #40: Undefeated Mind with Alex Lickerman

Episode #40: Undefeated Mind with Alex Lickerman

So after being in hiatus for nearly a year, I've decided to bring back the Art of Manliness podcast. Thanks to all those who emailed and messaged me asking to bring it back.To kick off the resurrectio...

4 Apr 201427min

Episode #39: Eugen Sandow, Victorian Strongman with David Waller

Episode #39: Eugen Sandow, Victorian Strongman with David Waller

Before Arnold Schwarzenegger, even before Charles Atlas, there was Eugen Sandow. Rising from obscurity in Prussia, Sandow became an international celebrity during the Golden Age of the Strongman in th...

4 Apr 201428min

Episode #38: Ron Swanson with Actor Nick Offerman

Episode #38: Ron Swanson with Actor Nick Offerman

In this week's episode we talk to Nick Offerman, the actor who plays the manliest character on TV, Ron Swanson from NBC's Parks and Recreation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif...

4 Apr 201422min

Episode #37: The Big Scrum with John Miller

Episode #37: The Big Scrum with John Miller

While it’s now America’s favorite pastime, football was on the verge of extinction as soon as the game was forming around the 20th century. Severe injuries and even death were common in the early days...

4 Apr 201420min

Episode #36: The Decline of Males with Lionel Tiger

Episode #36: The Decline of Males with Lionel Tiger

Welcome back to the Art of Manliness podcast!Why are men in American falling behind? What’s caused their decline in the past 50 years? Many sociologists argue that driving forces are economic and cult...

4 Apr 201429min

Episode #35: Hemingway’s Guns

Episode #35: Hemingway’s Guns

Welcome back to another episode of the Art of Manliness podcast. In this week's episode we talk to Silvio Calabi, co-author of the book Hemingway's Guns. We discuss Ernest Hemingway's favorite firearm...

4 Apr 201426min

Episode #34: The Stuff Heroes Are Made of With Frank Farley

Episode #34: The Stuff Heroes Are Made of With Frank Farley

Welcome back to another episode of The Art of Manliness Podcast. In this week's edition, we talk to Dr. Frank Farley, a professor of psychology at the University of Temple. For the past twenty years, ...

4 Apr 201428min

Populärt inom Utbildning

rss-bara-en-till-om-missbruk-medberoende-2
historiepodden-se
det-skaver
alska-oss
harrisons-dramatiska-historia
nu-blir-det-historia
roda-vita-rosen
allt-du-velat-veta
johannes-hansen-podcast
rss-foraldramotet-bring-lagercrantz
sektledare
not-fanny-anymore
rss-viktmedicinpodden
i-vantan-pa-katastrofen
sa-in-i-sjalen
rss-basta-livet
rikatillsammans-om-privatekonomi-rikedom-i-livet
rss-sjalsligt-avkladd
rss-om-vi-ska-vara-arliga
rss-psykoterapipodden