By xrayman on Skatehive
##### The Scapegoat Mechanism René Girard, a French professor, developed the theory of mimetic behavior, which offers an explanation for the scapegoat mechanism—one of the cornerstones of various religions and human cultures. It all stems from man’s intrinsic will and desire to want only what others also want. We often want to drive the same car that others drive. We want to live in the same house that others live in. We want to have a life that others also want to have. We even go so far as to want to look the way others want to look. This phenomenon of human behavior, termed mimetic desire by Girard, drives one of our primary and most obscure tendencies. From the moment we are born, we exhibit this behavior. Evolutionarily speaking, we are programmed this way, and it makes perfect sense that we are. Notice that from the moment we are born, we seek out and have a desire to imitate others. A baby imitates what they see their parents or caregivers do. A child will do what their close gr