Why We Get the Politics We Deserve - Part 2
Why We Get the Politics We Deserve - Part 2
2/3: Mimetic Desire
We get the politics we deserve. We get what we put out.
How so?
There are three subtle but powerful forces shaping how we shape politics.
The first is the focusing illusion - an undervalued concept coined by prominent psychologist Daniel Kahneman. I wrote about the focusing illusion last week.
In short, what we focus on becomes more important in our minds than it otherwise is. This can lead to:
Skewed estimate of what is important (to us or others) based on what we pay attention to.
What we pay attention to influences politics, i.e. candidates, campaigns, political programmes, legislation.
In turn, politics is a constant effort of shaping what we pay attention to
We have a responsibility to pay attention to what we pay attention to. It matters, whether we like it or not, and whether we are aware of it or not.
The second force shaping how we shape politics:
Mimetic desire.
The French philosopher René Girard developed the theory:
“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.”
Human desire is not innate, nor do we realize what we want in isolation. Rather, human desire is imitative: we look around and learn what to desire, based on the desires of others.
This interview is a good intro:
Or simply:
We want what others want.
But also: what we want, others want.
And this is where we shape politics:
We want nothing to do with politics?
We value our careers, family life, hobbies, material possessions above and beyond anything related to politics?
What we want and do not want, is not an isolated decision about our lives. It shapes the desires of people in our circle of influence.
It goes further: what qualities do we desire in politicians? Let's be brutally honest here: part of you may wish politicians were intelligent, ethical, altruistic, caring etc. But then you (re)watch a TV debate between Biden and Trump for the cringe factor, for entertainment. What does that say about what you desire in politics and politicians? Doom-scrolling expresses what you desire, at least a part of it. The algorithms of Meta & Co. know it and feed it to you.
And to make it clear: when I say 'you', I'm including myself.
One more way mimetic desire shapes politics: the vocal minority trumps the silent majority. The vocal minority that is loud and effective at articulating what they want, are not only heard more clearly by politicians, they are also heard by everyone else. And they shape everyone else's attention (focusing illusion!) and desires.
Being part of the silent majority is handing over the reins of mimetic desire to the vocal minority.
What I take away from mimetic desire as a force through which we shape politics:
What we want, others want; that includes not wanting anything to do with politics.
What we want in politicians, others want; that includes the things we are drawn to, but perhaps don't want to admit to (or are not even aware of)
What the vocal minority wants speaks louder and shapes people's desires more than what the silent majority wants.
I really appreciate this article/post! Such a great perspective!
I wonder if you are saying fundamentally we all want the same thing: a world that works for everyone, where no one goes to bed hungry and has a decent place to sleep, where everyone can contribute their own unique gifts in their own unique way.
I wonder what would happen if we ALL focused on that?
If we all realized this was possible, why not want it?
Scientists already tell us the world produces enough food to feed everyone. The World Hunger Project has been saying for 40 years that all that is missing is the political will to make sure everyone is fed. I want people to vote for who want THAT.
I want politicians who know this is possible and stand for making it happen. I want the people who are willing to let go of the old paradigm of lack, limitation, scarcity and believe in abundance for all to focus the politicians that way.
I don't know if we are close to the tipping point that makes what appears to be an idealistic dream into an actualized reality...but I meet more and more people every day who are willing to believe it is possible. That's a start.
I like the reflection of that. I experienced this a lot in corporate environments. Back in the beginnings of the "digital lab era", it was often not enough to have a central lab supporting all divisions. No, one needed a specialized one. In my eyes, top managers neglected that this told everyone: do our work first, collaborate second. And years later they complained that every lab somehow came up with similar ideas in parallel.
Be careful what you wish for. :)