📹 We Are All Copycats

Exploring various dimensions of human mimesis.

My third video essay is live!

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In this video essay, I discuss the pervasive nature of imitation in human behavior, emphasizing its role in shaping desires, actions, and conflicts. I used Rene Girard's mimetic theory to explain how people imitate the desires of others, leading to both positive outcomes and conflicts. I illustrate the concept with various examples, including children's behavior, advertising, and the so called 'Werther effect'; to demonstrate how imitation is a fundamental yet complex aspect of human nature.

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Sources:

[1] Mary Alice Evans, Mimicry and the Darwinian Heritage. Journal of the History of Ideas Vol. 26, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1965), pp. 211-220 Link

[2] Robert B. Cialdini, Influence: The Psychology of persuasion. Pp 115.

[3] Qing Cai, Sinead Chen, Sarah J. White, Sophie K. Scott, Modulation of humor ratings of bad jokes by other people’s laughter, Current Biology Volume 29, Issue 14, 22 July 2019, Pages R677-R678 Link

[4] Charlie Munger, Poor Charlie’s Almanack Pp 287

[5] Wolfgang Palaver, Rene Girard’s Mimetic Theory Pp 69

[6] Ha J, Yang H-S (2021) The Werther effect of celebrity suicides: Evidence from South Korea. PLoS ONE 16(4): e0249896 Link