Met a guy at a party this weekend.
He was fine until,
Guy: "U were Columbia 2016? What was ur 5-Year reunion like?
Did y'all sit around figuring out who's the most successful?"
My stomach dropped. Something vile was bubbling in my throat-- the toxicity dizzying.
Story time 👇
He was fine until,
Guy: "U were Columbia 2016? What was ur 5-Year reunion like?
Did y'all sit around figuring out who's the most successful?"
My stomach dropped. Something vile was bubbling in my throat-- the toxicity dizzying.
Story time 👇
He was a Columbia 2019 so maybe it was self-deprecating humor?
Well not funny. A revolving door of emotions passed between us.
First, disgust. Why the fuck would we come all this way just to whip out our dicks & size each other up?
Second, denial. Dude musta had no friends.
Well not funny. A revolving door of emotions passed between us.
First, disgust. Why the fuck would we come all this way just to whip out our dicks & size each other up?
Second, denial. Dude musta had no friends.
People like him were the exception, not the rule.
Third, sympathy. Should I feel bad for him?
Fourth, realization. Damn, this guy... was all of us.
Fifth, disgust. Why the fuck did we come all this way just to whip out our dicks and size each other up?
Third, sympathy. Should I feel bad for him?
Fourth, realization. Damn, this guy... was all of us.
Fifth, disgust. Why the fuck did we come all this way just to whip out our dicks and size each other up?
Because we're an entire race intoxicated by the fumes of our own competitive obsession.
There's a name for this phenomenon:
Girardian mimesis.
And here, amid the loud music and murmurs of pending IPOs was Girardian mimesis at its finest.
There's a name for this phenomenon:
Girardian mimesis.
And here, amid the loud music and murmurs of pending IPOs was Girardian mimesis at its finest.
What is mimesis?
@david_perell explains this beautifully in perell.com/essay/peter-th…
TLDR: Mimesis = imitation.
We don't know what we want, so we want what our neighbor wants. And the less we understand why, the more desperately we want.
@david_perell explains this beautifully in perell.com/essay/peter-th…
TLDR: Mimesis = imitation.
We don't know what we want, so we want what our neighbor wants. And the less we understand why, the more desperately we want.
"Mimetic conflict emerges when 2 people desire the same, scarce resource. Like lions in a cage, we mirror our enemies, fight because of our sameness, & ascend status hierarchies instead of providing value for society."
~ @david_perell
~ @david_perell
The concrete jungle of NYC was an echo chamber of our mimetic conflicts.
It was the culture of finance.
It was the culture of scarcity.
It was the culture I flew halfway across the world to get away from.
It was the culture of finance.
It was the culture of scarcity.
It was the culture I flew halfway across the world to get away from.
Coming to SF 4 yrs ago felt like departing Plato's cave.
As I packed up my east coast life, a friend asked:
"Are you running from or running toward?"
Both.
"From scarcity. Toward abundance."
I was naive. I didn't know it at the time but I was running in a spiral.
As I packed up my east coast life, a friend asked:
"Are you running from or running toward?"
Both.
"From scarcity. Toward abundance."
I was naive. I didn't know it at the time but I was running in a spiral.
To say that I was running from scarcity toward abundance explains only half the story. More accurately, it was from scarcity-driven mimesis to abundance-driven mimesis.
We are still "gigantic imitation machines" (as @peterthiel describes) no matter where we go.
We are still "gigantic imitation machines" (as @peterthiel describes) no matter where we go.
I came to SF looking for the land where unicorns frolick and the pie in the sky is ever growing.
I wanted to experience the smoke in mirrors, the exaggerated exuberance, the song and dance about general AI, and ceaseless anticipation for the next big crypto pump.
I wanted to experience the smoke in mirrors, the exaggerated exuberance, the song and dance about general AI, and ceaseless anticipation for the next big crypto pump.
Everyone has their own unique story in the global exodus from finance to tech. Sick of PE interviews? Want to build product? Longing for something new?
More likely they are all manifestations of Girardian mimesis.
The irony!
Our instinct for imitation is truly inimitable.
More likely they are all manifestations of Girardian mimesis.
The irony!
Our instinct for imitation is truly inimitable.
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