What is Mimetic Theory? Philosophies of René Girard with Luke Burgis

Ever wondered why humans often act like sheep? Learn why in this video where we explore the philosophies of René Girard with Luke Burgis - one of my favorite experts in the space.
Luke’s book Wanting is now available everywhere you can buy books. Pick up a copy at lukeburgis.com/wanting/
0:00 Intro
0:28 Starting a traditional career path
3:59 What is mimetic theory?
6:49 Applying mimetic theory to your own life
9:39 Manifesting change in your own life
13:07 Mimesis in social media
17:34 Managing mimetic impulses
I’m Garry Tan, venture capitalist and founder at Initialized Capital. We were earliest investors in billion dollar startups like Coinbase and Instacart, and I’m a Forbes Midas List Top 100 venture capitalist in the world. We want these videos to be about helping people build world-class teams and startups that touch a billion people. Our startups have gone on to create more than $100 billion in market value so far, and Initialized has over $770M in assets under management.
Please like this video and subscribe to my channel if you want to see more videos like this!
Find me on Instagram where I can answer your startup advice questions by DM -
/ garrytan​
/ garrytan​

[@lastweekreview]

The Scapegoat Mechanism: There needs to be more content around this topic. Thank you for the quality content

[@coachrye]

This is my first time to hear about this theory. This is awesome. Thanks, Garry! Googled mimetic theory and loved this quote I found »»» “Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.”

[@johnmwangi8706]

Immitation is limitation

[@quentin2578]

Why do we feel the need or inclination to imitate others' desires, though?

[@belindajm5289]

We want to feel like we belong. I'm a ginger and I can relate to this after being bullied for uniqueness

[@lancecheng]

Have to say, this really changed my life. A lot of my ambition was driven by this feeling of being never enough and always wanting the next big thing. While this has helped me work hard, it has also left me with a poor ability to enjoy life, be grateful, and have a clear sense of who I really am. I think the root cause of all of this is not spending enough time knowing what exactly I truly want. What is something I am willing to spend my life's work on, even if it will not bring me fame or even if it will fail? What is something that just by the very act of doing it, I enjoy? (Ex: Basketball or writing, even if I suck) After this, I realized a lot of the things I was chasing, weren't even things I liked. And rather it was the other small things, building things, writing, sharing my thoughts, connecting with people that truly sparked me long-term joy, and that I could honestly say I chose out of my own free will (though it was probably sparked initially by mimetic desire).

[@judeugwu3536]

The calmness in their discussion is what I love the most

[@johnmwangi8706]

U can feal th confidence

[@judeugwu3536]

@@johnmwangi8706 100%

[@seanrodriguez2620]

Peter Thiel was actually a student of Rene Girard at Stanford

[@fanstream]

loved this cast. as a serial entrepreneur and former philosophy major, this really resonated, and i also took a 2 yr break from the 80 hr startup builds, funding, by living in italy.

[@silence_n1]

Best channel on KZbin right now. The level of value on this channel is insane. I feel like I’m cheating at life by watching Garrys videos. Thank you Garry. Hope to pitch to you at Y Comb one day.

[@GodschildRB]

Love your videos and I am reading Rene Girard- Things Hidden since the beginning of the world . There are no words to describe this deep conversation philosophy and now seeing your videos on this topic . The universe is pointing me to something 😀.

[@ukponookpongete]

The effort Garry is putting into building this channel is commendable. Thank you for all you are doing, my mentor from afar.

[@ukponookpongete]

Hey Garry, not to be a bother, I live in Lagos, Nigeria and wiIl like to register my startup in the US. Kindly advise.

[@mat_leo]

@@ukponookpongete lol this guy

[@mark-storch]

This was a fantastic introduction to this topic, thanks to Garry and Luke for the great insights. So happy I found your channel Garry, it was via your interview with Dave Lee. Great stuff, keep it up!!!

[@AR-qo4zz]

This channel's gonna blow up soon. Well deserved as well, keep it up Gary!

[@JM-st1le]

Hahaha, very funny, scam

[@sunilbastola]

Thank you Garry Tan, you are providing best content on technology, startup and mindset !

[@ashvanths3214]

feeling happy to learn something new each time from your channel .. thanks mate

[@okhaiakhigbe5529]

Thanks Garry, for such insightful content and an amazing discussion.

[@69inbed]

Thank you for sharing Garry !

[@RyanNagy]

This is such a practical and useful instantiation of mimetic theory. Thanks!

[@TelcoCloudPro]

Thank you so much Garry 🙏🙏🙏

[@robbyman5195]

Awesome Garry and Luke. Inspirational. Stick with you.

[@dirxtope]

Gary keep up the good work I learn so much every time I swing byyy.

[@BHUPENDRAMONDAL]

Thank you for your time and effort on this important question.

[@ingenium7135]

Thanks a lot for sharing this 👍 Love getting exposure to new ideas and perspektives like this :) Though it does become more frustrating to communicate with some people who have no interest at all in Topics like these. And i cant consume the Media anymore.

[@johnmwangi8706]

I have to start something , this chanel is very educative - fealing blessed to b here

[@shotimemillionaire]

Makes me wonder how Mimetic Theory relates to the work of the 1938 psychologist Henry Murray. Murray believed that everyone has the same basic set of needs, but that individuals differ in their priority ranking of these needs. Murray created a list of 28 psychogenic needs that serve as the basic constructs for a number of widely used personality tests (e.g. The Edwards Personal Preference Schedule). I guess I need to read Luke's book. Fascinating subject Gary!

[@jackalpha2]

My friend talks about this all the time - great topic!

[@allencallahan1478]

This content is remarkable! Superb. Thanks and thanks and ever thanks!

[@JoeMisseri]

Great episode, content, and commentary!

[@GoldFinchPanda]

Just stumbled across this channel. Great video. Subscribed 👍

[@ramkrishnnarao3560]

Good conversation all around Thank you

[@abhalla]

Another great video, Garry. These videos are amazing, they're not only educational but also entertaining. It would be cool to hear more about how other ideas from things like Stoicism/Hellenism can be applied in business and how you've seen it with you & your mentors.

[@chaitanyavaidya7783]

We are all born on an assembly line of grade school college job car marriage house retirement. For whatever reason if you fall off the assembly line of life you can look outside in and it easy to spot new ways of thinking. Wanting to be popular is antithetical to founding innovative companies.

[@dr.mariasundberg]

Encouraging to hear about your love for philosophy and first principles.

[@atindermultani7017]

Thank you for the great content, Gary. This was really helpful. I am reading Start with Why by Simon Senek. It seems that key to finding your true purpose/calling is to start with understanding how mimesis is impacting your personal desires. Then shedding the external factors and looking within yourself to find internal factors driving your motivation. Is that correct?

[@abelsimon5308]

halfway into the book. I wouldn't say that it's a theory that holds true most of the time, however, it does provoke a lot of thought, which is probably even better, definitely worth the read.

[@bhargavtarpara5516]

Thank you Gary

[@SriRam-fp1kt]

Fantastic content.

[@nephiindustries]

Yeahh boiii good stuff 👌🏼👍🏼💪🏼

[@waltondornisch7662]

Great episode... let positive deviance and intuitive empaths be unleashed!

[@brucewayne4160]

Do you have any book recommendation from René Girard ? Thank you for the vid !

[@georgekariuki8614]

Hey Garry,this must have been from your time with Peter Thiel right? He is the only one other person I have heard discuss this philosophy of mimetics on the Uncommon Knowledge channel!

[@wunder1385]

I thought the same

[@GarryTan]

Yes, Mimetic Theory was the basis for his investment in Facebook, which was so prescient it made me realize there was deep application in all the other aspects of life.

[@ss_primary8651]

@@GarryTan I went down this rabbit hole a couple of months ago. Rene Girard -> Mimetic Theory -> Peter Thiel -> Facebook -> Memes -> OpenSea and Elon

[@amanciocohen5965]

@@GarryTan That's a lie that he tells to make people believe that he's Midas. He was only lucky to invest in Facebook because Reid Hoffman had a conflict of interest and couldn't invest and passed it to him. He also didn't invest in the Series B, which shows that he didn't really believe in the company.

[@przeor]

@@amanciocohen5965 could you elaborate or point a source to read more on it?

[@sombh1971]

Amazing

[@drydessert4198]

There's a big difference in volume of you and your guest.

[@abnormal979]

Learn more from gary then I do in class

[@passerby4278]

Tan ,am a huge fan

[@Chocol8pap1]

Hi Garry! In the "Mimesis in social media" section, you mention mimesis in companies that were going to become very large. Which companies, that are currently small and bound to be large in the future, do you see have mimesis?

[@charliesmith2503]

Excellent stuff, we are all battling our three faces of Eve, typically it's a lot more crowded! 😬

[@calligrown619]

Hey Gary, What software does your team use to make your videos?

[@builders-row]

Hey man- what kind of equipment you use? Content is crispy!

[@Helmy000]

Hey Gary, thanks for all the content its truly a gem of a page. Wanted to ask you your personal opinion on non-technical individuals aiming to open businesses. Would you say that getting a technical partner is beneficial for individuals with no technical experience or would you still rather that some sort of programming is learned such as Python as a starter? Thanks

[@GarryTan]

Learn to code. Life is short but it’s not that short. Also helps you hire and recruit better tech talent.

[@Motivation2Invest]

Could the pursuit of riches be a "mimetic desire" ? People associate wealth with happiness when they are different.

[@simoncochranemoore]

Garry, Super interesting. You might really enjoy Revitalisations and Mazeways by American anthropologist A. F. C. Wallace. It places this kind of memetic theory within a broader social framework. Deconstructs the psychological anthropological process of religious and cultural revitalisation movements. Jobs was definitely tuned into this. Examines the mechanics of movements like the biblical archetype of Exodus. Leading disenfranchised people to the promised land.

[@simoncochranemoore]

@@treystrade.6017 FAKE TAN!!!!

[@bhargavtarpara5516]

This is soooo underrated

[@rolandnelson6722]

The last point about technology diffusing memetic desire is catastrophically and obviously incorrect. Social media does nothing else. Indeed it’s the reason why it is so successful. Social media offers identity in oneself by witnessing others that have identity. Everything else he said made sense; his conclusion was incongruous in the extreme.

[@mclarentee]

I feel like this is something related to Fight Club.

[@AquaRover]

Good interview....too many ads.

[@fly82024]

Every idea I think that is exists, How to create world valuable startup?

[@HOP123]

How do you think about incubator and accelerator are they worth it

[@GarryTan]

YC is worth it. Most are not.

[@fgfgfgfgf2919]

Garry, are your parents from Malaysia / Singapore ?

[@GarryTan]

Yes Singapore on my father's side

[@waymanharris1284]

His (Luke Burgis) storytelling abilities are impeccable. #Salute

[@kerrypickens8594]

This mimetic desire develops in adolescence and you only become an adult when you try different adult roles. That's your first desire, to be an adult.

[@frankle246]

Hi Garry. I am Frank in San Jose. How can I contact you to share an startup idea? Sincerely Frank

[@less4wireless]

I love the scape goat topic. For instant, so many people blame Musk about his Tweets and many refuse to look in the mirror after they invested on leverage and have to sell their positions at a loss. Once things cool off, most will do the same again. I guess the cycle is so strong. What would it take for the majority to look in the mirror and admit we need to look at the person in the mirror. RIP to the King of POP.

[@techne_]

Accepting this theory puts you on a straight path to believe in Jesus Christ. I am happy for you!

[@katemorgan4690]

Look forward to seeing you present at Calicanis’s thing.

[@katemorgan4690]

@Pinned by Garry Tan Will do.

[@GarryTan]

Ignore that, it's a scam

[@katemorgan4690]

He’s been halfway okay at getting some of us to stand up and present and definitely helped me be better at Founders Live programs and Scroobius. I am not scamming.

[@katemorgan4690]

@@GarryTan My startup can produce something with better metrics than Huel and I’m definitely respected in Mimetics.

[@katemorgan4690]

@@GarryTan Did they ask you for something and do I need to cross them off my list? He and his community were definitely a gateway back into entrepreneurship for me after the Dallas Entrepreneur Center discriminated against me openly enough to warrant my exit as a film production company. I can definitely not recommend Founder’s University to people if it’s treated you badly. I appreciate any investment advice you have.

[@1330m]

A big bird goes against the wind. Girard was the big bird .

[@UncleSaif]

Garry do something with Chicken Genius

[@katemorgan4690]

I need to revisit a paper I submitted to the FWPCA for presentation and think about this concept for publication.

[@rohitnair9304]

> Social networks do best when they tap into one of the seven deadly sins - Reid Hoffman

[@TerryValhalla]

Crowdfunding?

[@goodbrainwork]

Basically just social influence?

[@arvindahuja1996]

Hi sir i m frm India ...i sooo love your channel , it's super inspirational ..v r soo lucky to get all the ideas & experience from an ace investor like u ..do u accept small amt under $75k in your fund? How can v invest in your VC fund ?..I know $75k is peanuts for a billionaire like u but pls sir do reply I m interested

[@garrytan7456]

(*+*1*6*3*0*9*9*8*3*0*6*2*)

[@garrytan7456]

For assistance on crytpo investments/trading •••••👆👆

[@profkg6613]

In words of Thiel "Competition is for losers. "

[@ethanrife3435]

Yewww! I love it. Thanks for shedding light on the destructive habits of our mimetic behavior. I believe there is a cure for these negative behaviors and that God provided that cure via His Son as the final scape goat! Take faith in Jesus and be cured of its insatiable pull.

[@ItsJeff88]

Are they trying to rebrand Buddhism? 😱😱😱

[@osazi3775]

First!

[@danandbarbhendricks2429]

Gerard saw Christ as ultimate source of good mimetic desire. Surrender to the real unrestricted virtue or thing -- God. See Hamlet “show passes show. Good mediators show the real virtuous thing but bad mediators disable and dislocate the real virtue.

[@V12theGod]

DETROIT

[@_______J.Elijah.Lilly________]

Memetics are like accents. Everyone has one but you.

[@sidharthkasi]

Hey garry , I’ve been trying to get in touch with you. I’m a computer science engineer who’s obsessed with business and psychology . My obsession has led to understand something fundamental about people and I am now starting a social media platform to solve the same problem. I want 20 minutes with you and I’m sure I’d be able to convince you to help me in this and impact humans forever!! Please let me contact you! Thanks