Rene Girard is known for (amongst other things) the theory of mimetic desire, which states that desire is not spontaneous. Our longing for X occurs because someone we consciously or unconsciously model longs for X. For example, my desire to work remotely and lead a rather liquid existence is due to my idolisation of certain people. Another example: a young son who desires the affection of his mother desires it because the father desires the mother. I can see the logic of this theory and it’s persuasive. But I am wondering, is there an opposite?
Mimetic desire is about what we want. It’s about what the person we model, and thus we ourselves, are running towards. But this is just one half of the human equation. We are all running towards something, but we are also all running away from something. So alongside a theory of mimetic desire, is there a theory of mimetic aversion?
Is it simply that we run from what the person we model is fleeing from? Do we fear something in and of itself, or because someone else fears that thing and we imitate them?
Swell & Cut 