I wrote a lot this year but just not on this blog.
Today is the last day of 2022 and I finally get myself to do the book of the year 2022.
2022 was a trying year. I guess not just for me but for many people too. For one, the market performances were horrendous. It was was also one of the toughest years for my business since the business is tied to the markets too.
Health hasn’t been good after contracting Covid. I fell sick more often but not sure if Covid was the cause. And I am sick while writing this.
Although 2022 was tough, it didn’t feel as bad looking back now. I guess looking back is always easier than going through it, and also that I have learned to be more optimistic. I feel more determined no matter what challenge has been thrown at me while my younger self would just walk away to avoid the pain. I guess that’s some personal progress.
While many people would love to put 2022 behind them and look forward to a better 2023, my bazi master said my 2023 would be worse. But I am still hopeful as my not-so-good 10-year cycle would end next year and good luck would come once more!
Well I digressed. Let’s go back to the book of the year.
The winning books in the past 4 years were investment related. It is finally different this year.
The winning book is Wanting by Luke Burgis.
It is a book that dives deep, but readable, into mimetic theory.
Luke Burgis didn’t come out with it. The originator of the theory was the late French philosopher, Rene Girard. It was probably made popular by Peter Thiel, the mastermind of the PayPal mafia.
If I may do some injustice to the book and explain the mimetic theory – we want what others want, and we often compete with one another because we want the same things.
For example, many people idolize Lionel Messi especially after he won the World Cup. A soccer player might don a Messi jersey and desire to be a star.
It is all fine until someone else in the same team is wearing a Messi jersey and has the same desire too.
We all know there will be tension between the two players, because they want the same thing and they would have to complete (even if secretly.)
This happens to everyone. The deeper desires are often mimetic. Your friend bought a BMW and suddenly you secretly want one too. It extends to many other things. In layman terms, it is called ‘keeping up with the Joneses’.
Such desires are not true desires. They will waste our time and resources pursuing them. And we won’t feel happy (maybe for a while) even when we eventually get them.
So we have to figure out what we really want and get them instead.
This is a thought provoking book and explains the mimetic theory well. Hope you would enjoy it too.