The Power of Mimetic Desire | Luke Burgis | Knowledge Project 138

Is there really a straight line between you and the things you want in life? Entrepreneur and educator Luke Burgis goes deep on how understanding mimetic desire can help you better connect the dots between where you are now, and where you want to go. Burgis breaks down the theories behind mimetic desire and the teachings of René Girard, why all of our behaviors are imative, why we desire things we don’t need, and why this all leads to missing out on aspects of life that are far more meaningful and valuable. Burgis has co-created and led four companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He’s currently Entrepreneur-in-Residence and Director of Programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship, where he also teaches business at The Catholic University of America. He is also the author of Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. -- 00:00 - Intro 00:37 - Luke’s big career change 08:37 - On making money and being miserable 16:03 - On building trust for solid relationships 20:47 - Why we lost (and gained) relationships during COVID 24:14 - Tacit knowledge with trusting others 29:35 - Borrowed vs. earned knowledge 31:48 - Literature to experience human nature 35:09 - Identifying mediators of desire 38:00 - René Girard and Mimetic Desire 41:08 - Accurate vs useful 46:38 - Non-obvious examples of mimetic desire 52:56 - How to create a luxury brand using mimetic desire 58:33 - Social media’s impact on mimetic desire 01:01:41 - Is identity mimetic? 01:07:03 - Mimetic desire on attractiveness 01:12:42 - Positive sides of mimetic desire 01:15:23 - Born vs. nurtured desires 01:19:22 - On changing your desires 01:31:30 - The Flywheel of Desire 01:40:12 - On the power of rituals 01:46:02 - On happiness and satisfaction 01:57:53 - How social hierarchies affect human nature 02:02:24 - Why we seek out obstacles for accomplishment 02:05:48 - On happiness and marriage 02:14:38 - The Whole Body Yes and Tacit knowledge 02:16:03 - What success looks like for Luke Burgis OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: 📈  OUR MOST POPULAR INTERVIEWS 🎬  The Full Story of Naval Ravikant: 🎬  Bill Ackman - Getting Back Up: 🎬  Secrets to Healthy Relationships with Esther Perel: 🎙 Listen to the show  iTunes: Spotify: GET IN TOUCH 🌍 Our website - JOIN OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT THE KNOWLEDGE PROJECT Like the mentor you’ve always dreamed of having, The Knowledge Project shares timely yet timeless lessons for work and life. Past guests include Naval Ravikant, Daniel Kahneman, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, Seth Godin, Melanie Mitchell, & Esther Perel.