The philosopher Rene Girard talks about it better than I ever could. Basically, when we reach a certain age, we start to want to fit in with the world. This is a natural and important process -- for a while. We'll often choose attributes of ourselves to extol and expand, in order to fit in with our selected strategy. We will imitate behaviors and attributes of those in that group. And during this time, we will find that subgroup that we're integrating with will want certain things -- and we will in turn want those things. He says we subconsciously start to desire what others desire because we imitate their desires. He calls it "Mimetic Desire."

The problem is that as a bunch of us are all desiring the same things, we become rivals, reaching for the same objects. Worse, we may not ever really want what we're reaching for.

I'm saying, "Divorce the world" -- an amicable, emotionless divorce. Just as you moved into a group, move out. Just as you imitated, stop. And that will free you to find your true passions, your true desires, your true opinions, your true self. And what's shocking is that now attaining things you desire will often be a million times easier because everyone isn't hunting these same things alongside you.