Gravity affects every aspect of our physical existence, but there is a psychological force that is just as powerful – and yet almost unheard of.
It is responsible for bringing groups of people together and separating them, making certain goals attractive to some but not others, and fueling cycles of anxiety and conflict. In Desire, Luc Borges draws on the work of French polymath René Girard to shed light on this hidden force, and reveals how it shapes our lives and societies.According to Girard, humans do not desire anything independently. Human desire is a simulation, as we imitate what others want. This affects the way we choose partners, friends, jobs, clothes and holiday destinations.
Mimetic desire is responsible for shaping our identities. It explains the enduring importance of Shakespeare's plays, why Peter Thiel decided to be Facebook's first investor, and why our world is becoming more divided as it becomes more interconnected.Wishing also shows that conflict does not arise from our differences, but from our similarities. Because we learn to want what others want, we often end up competing for the same things. Ignoring our great similarities, we cling to our perceived differences.Drawing from his experience as an entrepreneur, teacher, and student of classical philosophy and theology, Porges shares techniques for transforming blind desire into conscious desire, not by trying to get rid of desire, but by changing the way you desire. It is possible to be more in control of what we want, to achieve more independence from trends and fluctuations, and to find deeper meaning in our work and life.
The future will be shaped according to our desires. Desire teaches us how to desire a better future.
