Book SummaryWanting, by Luke Burgis

1-Page Summary1-Page Book Summary of Wanting

We spend a lot of time planning how to achieve the things we want, such as professional and relationship goals—but we rarely consider why we want those things. In Wanting, Luke Burgis aims to fill this gap by exploring the ideas of René Girard, an academic whose theory of “mimetic desire” seeks to explain where our desires come from. According to Girard’s theory, we don’t form our own desires—rather, we imitate what other people want or have. Burgis argues that increasing your awareness of mimetic desire will empower you to pursue life’s most meaningful desires.

Luke Burgis is a...

Wanting Summary Part 1: What Is Mimetic Desire?

We’ll begin this section by explaining what Girard means by “mimetic” and “desire” and tracing the origins of his theory. Next, we’ll contrast his theory with more widely held beliefs about where our desires originate. Finally, we’ll examine his theory’s main concepts by exploring two questions: Why do we mimic others’ desires, and whose desires do we tend to mimic?

The Meaning of Mimetic Desire

According to Burgis, Girard’s theory of mimetic desire states that most of our desires are mimetic, meaning we mimic what others want or have. “Mimetic” comes from the Greek word mimesthai, meaning “to imitate.” Girard defines desires as objects or experiences we want rather than biologically need. We need basics such as food, water, safety, and shelter. After meeting these needs, we want things such as a nice home and supportive colleagues.

(Shortform note: While Burgis describes how Girard distinguishes needs from desires, he doesn’t explore examples of cravings we have that fail to neatly fit into either category. For instance, is it possible to need food as well as desire food? If it’s your goal to only eat fresh, organic ingredients, is that a need...

Wanting Summary Part 2: How Mimetic Desire Impacts Your Life

Is it bad to be under the influence of mimetic desire? Not necessarily, Burgis explains. Mimetic desire is simply a process by which you come to desire what you do—and there’s nothing inherently wrong with following your mimetic desires. Pursuing mimetic desires can have both negative and positive outcomes. We’ll begin this section by exploring three negative effects of mimetic desire, then we’ll explore two of its positive effects.

(Shortform note: Following the force of mimetic desire may offer an additional benefit that Burgis doesn’t explore in his book: Saving you time and energy. In Influence, Robert Cialdini argues that we tend to mimic others’ choices to avoid the overwhelming, exhausting task of assessing the pros and cons of every choice. Cialdini’s theory may explain why the majority of consumers base their purchasing decisions on what others have purchased—in other words, the majority of consumers mimetically follow models. For instance, deciding what cat food to buy is easier if you rely on your friends’...

Wanting Summary Part 3: Strategies for Cultivating Meaningful Desires

In this section, we’ll explore how to identify and prioritize meaningful desires in your life. According to Burgis, awareness of how mimetic desire operates in your life empowers you to identify and pursue meaningful desires over misleading ones. Pursuing meaningful desires will make your life more fulfilling, improve society, and enable you to support others to chase meaningful desires as well.

(Shortform note: Throughout history, many influential scholars have shared Burgis’s viewpoint that awareness about how the world works empowers you to find your life’s meaning and improve society. For instance, educator Paolo Freire, well-known for his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed, elaborates that awareness empowers you to resist societal oppression, specifically. Friere argues that when people who face oppression (such as people in poverty) learn about the nature of their oppression, they are well-equipped with the knowledge to collaborate with others on resisting that oppression through collective action and organizing.)

In this section, we’ve...

Shortform Exercise: Make a Plan for Cultivating Meaningful Desires

Burgis argues that you can improve your life, society, and others’ lives by understanding how mimetic desire works and pursuing meaningful desires over misleading ones.

First, make a list of at least five strong desires you have, whether they’re meaningful or misleading. (For example: owning a larger home, having a child, building stronger relationships with colleagues, getting a promotion, and learning about your heritage.)