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The Psychology of Desire – Luke Burgis

Luke Burgis - The Weekend University
Luke Burgis

Luke Burgis is an author, educator and entrepreneur who has founded and led multiple companies. He’s currently entrepreneur-in-residence and director of programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America, where he also teaches business and develops new education initiatives. He’s the founder and director of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator for people and companies that contribute to the formation of a healthy human ecology. He graduated from NYU Stern School of Business and later from a pontifical university in Rome, where he studied theology. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Claire. 

About the podcast

Do you ever wonder why you want what you want?

Our desires shape almost everything we do in life: what we value, what goals we pursue, who we choose for a romantic partner, and even what career paths we go down.

Yet very rarely do we stop to ask ourselves why we want these things. 

In other words, what causes us to desire them in the first place?

In this interview I’m joined by Luke Burgis – a writer and academic who has recently published: Wanting; The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life.

In the book, Luke explores the work of René Girard and his theory of Mimetic Desire, which offers a fascinating and illuminating explanation for human desire. 

In this interview, we discuss some of the key takeaways from the book, including:

  • What mimetic desire is, and how deeply this is ingrained in human nature
  • How understanding mimetic theory can help you transform your relationship to desire into one that leads to long term fulfilment, contentment and wellbeing, rather than just getting caught up in the latest trend or fad
  • How to change course if you have the nagging suspicion that you might be on the wrong path in life
  • The influence that ‘models’ may be having on you, and how to create boundaries with unhealthy ones
  • The power of choosing ONE core, overarching desire to subordinate everything else to.

And more. 

If you’re interested in exploring this subject further, I highly recommend picking up a copy of “Wanting”, and you can read a summary of some of the key ideas here.

About the speaker

Selected Links from the Episode

  • Luke’s website
  • Luke’s book
  • Mimetic Desire: The Secret Psychology of Why We Want What We Want, and How to Want What You Need (Blog Post Summary)

Subscribe to the Podcast

Recommended Podcasts:

Internal Family Systems & Change – Derek Scott

Religion Without Belief? – Rupert Sheldrake, Paul Kingsnorth and Philip Goff

Understanding and Healing Addiction – Mark Dempster

Internal Family Systems & Change – Derek Scott

Religion Without Belief? – Rupert Sheldrake, Paul Kingsnorth and Philip Goff

Understanding and Healing Addiction – Mark Dempster

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