shal
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shal

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Paul Scott
“Look, it’s the same color as mine. Don’t be fooled by that. People are. But prick an imbecile and he’ll bleed crimson. So will a dog.”
Paul Scott, The Day of the Scorpion

Luke Burgis
“We’re more threatened by people who want the same things as us than by those who don’t.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

Luke Burgis
“Girard discovered that most of what we desire is mimetic (mi-met-ik) or imitative, not intrinsic. Humans learn—through imitation—to want the same things other people want, just as they learn how to speak the same language and play by the same cultural rules. Imitation plays a far more pervasive role in our society than anyone had ever openly acknowledged.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

Luke Burgis
“engineering desire, is the approach of Silicon Valley, authoritarian governments, and the Cult of Experts. The first two use intelligence and data to centrally plan a system in which people want things that other people want them to want -- things that benefit a certain group of people. This approach poses a serious threat to human agency. It also lacks respect for the capability of people to freely desire what is best for themselves and for the people they love.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

Luke Burgis
“While we fight for equality in the areas that do matter: for fundamental human and civil rights, or for the freedom for each person to pursue their thick desires (in the United States, this is called "the pursuit of happiness"); we also begin fighting for equality in areas that do not matter, our thing desires: to make as much money as someone else, to have the same number of Instagram followers, to have the same amount of status or respect or professional prestige as any one of the nearly eight billion models on the planet.”
Luke Burgis, Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life

1139 Science and Inquiry — 4482 members — last activity 3 hours, 0 min ago
This Group explores scientific topics. We have an active monthly book club, as well as discussions on a variety of topics including science in the new ...more
501 The Brain and Mind — 4409 members — last activity Sep 25, 2025 01:42AM
This is a group for readers to recommend and discuss books related to real and/or artificial brains. Categories include but are not limited to: neuros ...more
12469 The Personal MBA — 248 members — last activity Aug 04, 2025 08:45AM
This is a group dedicated to the Personal MBA program detailed here: http://personalmba.com/
48322 Science Fiction Aficionados — 2564 members — last activity Jan 04, 2026 04:34AM
Welcome to Sci Fi Aficionados. We love all things science fiction, with an emphasis on the classics of the genre. Members are welcome to discuss all t ...more
4105 TV We've Just Watched — 585 members — last activity Jan 26, 2025 12:08PM
A place to give your recent impressions of a TV show you just watched, a series you love or one you've just discovered. ...more
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