Does desire come from within? René Girard argues no: we imitate the desires of others. We pursue the fantasy that if only we could uncover and achieve our own, authentic desires, we would be happy. In fact, our desires are copies; when we achieve them, we are left unsatisfied. Advertising, for example, shows us others to imitate in order to "be ourselves." The fruitless pursuit of authenticity leaves us feeling that there is something wrong with who we are. The result can be unstable identities beset by dissatisfied and envy. The imitation of desire, Girard says, leads to competition, conflict, and crisis.

See René Girard's Deceit, Desire, and the Novel.