Is Your Next Decision a Mimetic Urge?
This ancient Greek concept is your path to authentic decision-making
We are not direct or autonomous in our decisions. As social animals, we think in a complicated net of desires and influences. The decisions you make are not made in isolation and some of your desires may come from outside. That’s what Plato and Aristotle called Mimesis: our desire to imitate others.
First, this concept was mainly relevant to art, which tries to imitate real life. A painting imitating a real tree, or an actor imitating real emotions. Similarly, the concept could also be applied to our lives, resulting in an explanation of how we actually reason and make decisions.
When we apply the concept of Mimesis to our real lives, we discover something interesting. Turns out, we might not always know if we actually desire something out of personal choice and necessity, or just because your coworker Jack got the same thing.
You already know how your new car is not just a tool to get you from point A to B, but can also be a status symbol. When we look deeper, this is not the only decision that Jack unwillingly manipulated you into making.
So let’s solve this problem. Are you doing something because you want to? or because everyone else around you seems to be doing…
