Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

This book delves into the profound reasons behind our desires and offers a practical toolkit to break free from unfulfilling pursuits and desires.

During his undergraduate studies in philosophy at Stanford, Peter Thiel encountered the French polymath René Girard. Girard introduced Thiel to his theory of “mimetic desire,” which posits that most human desires originate from imitating others rather than an innate sense of need. René Girard, recognized as the “Darwin of the social sciences” by the Académie Française, remains largely unknown outside academic circles.

Mimetic desire doesn’t have to control us; we have the power to choose. Those who comprehend mimetic desire possess a tremendous advantage over those who don’t—they can harness its potential for positive or negative outcomes.

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