The Mysterious Portal of Hope

The Anti-Mimetic Newsletter

The French polymath René Girard identified mimesis (mi-mee-sis)—imitation—as the most important force shaping our lives and our culture. 

Humans possess powers of imitation that far surpass any animal. This ability is tremendously important and largely positive. It’s what allows us to learn complex languages, recipes, social norms, advanced math, and flirtatious conversation starters that actually work. 

Theoretically, we have the power to choose most of the models that we imitate as adults. When we’re children, though, our parents are an immediate and obvious exception. In fact, our teachers, extended family, and high school friends are usually given to us based on the constraints of our environment. 

At my Catholic high school on the west side of Grand Rapids, MI, I convinced myself that there wasn’t a single person in the school worthy of imitation. But that was a product of my adolescent naïveté. I imitated or reacted against everything. I couldn’t help myself.  

And sometimes, that’s…