1, #4 - Ways We Want
On utility vs. identity — Estimated Read Time: 33 seconds.
This week, I listened to a podcast that discussed René Girard, the French philosopher and polymath. Girard’s core insight, the podcast explained, was that people generally want things for two separate reasons: what a thing can do for us (a question of utility) and what a thing says about us (a question of identity). I’m still trying to process the implications of this idea, but it seems to align with one of my favorite insights from James Clear’s Atomic Habits: that our behavior is often motivated by a desire to confirm our own impressions of ourselves. What do you think? What’s the difference between something you want for its direct value to you and something you want because of its impact on your identity?
Insight inspired by: René Girard, as discussed by Johnathan Bi on the Realignment podcast. And my friend Paul, for recommending that episode—Thanks, Paul!