Career

Wanting: 8 key ideas

by Luke Burgis

The core ideas of Wanting, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.

1. IDEA 1 OF 8

   We borrow our desires

   Burgis draws on the French thinker René Girard to argue that most human desires are mimetic, meaning we copy them from other people.

   We want things largely because others we admire want them.

2. IDEA 2 OF 8

   Girard explained imitation

   Burgis explains Girard's idea that people imitate each other's desires without realising it.

   This shapes choices from careers to purchases. In his account, people often take on a wish because someone they admire holds it, without noticing the source.

3. IDEA 3 OF 8

   Models shape desire

   Burgis argues that everyone has models, people whose wants influence their own.

   Recognising them brings awareness. In his account, a person's models can be friends, family, celebrities or rivals. Each one quietly pulls a person's wishes in some direction.

4. IDEA 4 OF 8

   Distant and near models differ

   Burgis describes Celebristan, where models are far away and rivalry is low, and Freshmanistan, where models are close and rivalry intense.

   In his account, closeness makes comparison sharper, so people near each other tend to fight over the same goals.

5. IDEA 5 OF 8

   Rivalry leads to scapegoats

   Burgis explains Girard's idea that groups in conflict often blame a scapegoat to restore peace.

   In his account, a group under strain tends to settle on one person to blame, and the sense of unity that follows can feel like relief.

6. IDEA 6 OF 8

   Desires can be thick or thin

   Burgis distinguishes thick desires, deep and lasting, from thin desires, shallow and contagious.

   In his account, a thick desire stays steady through time and comes from within, while a thin one is borrowed from the crowd and fades.

7. IDEA 7 OF 8

   Stories of fulfilment reveal desire

   Burgis suggests reflecting on moments of deep fulfilment to discover one's thick desires.

   In his view, the times when a person felt most alive and satisfied can point to what they truly want.

8. IDEA 8 OF 8

   Leaders shape desire

   Burgis argues that good leaders help people pursue desires that are worth having.

   In his view, a leader who understands how wishes spread can shape a team's goals for the better, while one who ignores this can fuel rivalry.