### Reframing Desire: Pathways to Anarchism and Equality ##### Mimetic Desire and the Overton Window The Overton window represents the range of ideas deemed acceptable for public discourse. Mimetic desire plays a crucial role in shaping this window because societal norms often emerge from imitation of authority figures, cultural icons, or dominant systems. • Hierarchy and Control: In [[hierarchical]] societies, mimetic desire reinforces power structures by encouraging people to aspire to the positions, possessions, or behaviours of elites. For example, the agrilogistical desire for [[Control]] over resources mirrors societal deference to hierarchical models of governance and accumulation. • Expanding the Window: Shifting the Overton window requires introducing and normalising new models of desire. Anarchistic and [[egalitarian]] ideals challenge hierarchical structures by presenting alternative ways of organising [[Society]]—rooted in cooperation, mutual aid, and shared power—thereby encouraging desires for collective liberation rather than domination. • Example: Movements for workers’ cooperatives or [[Community]] land trusts provide concrete models for mimetic desire to latch onto, demonstrating that equality and autonomy are not utopian abstractions but achievable goals. ### Agrilogistics and Breaking Free from Linear Thinking Morton’s [[Agrologistics]] is a requiem for the cold, mechanical logic that governs hierarchical societies and devours the natural world. It unmasks the tyranny of linear thinking—progress as a straight line, power as a vertical chain—mirroring the rigidity of today’s political and economic Overton windows, where anarchistic or egalitarian dreams are dismissed as the fevered murmurs of impractical [[Romantics]]. #### Breaking the Chains: Circular and Decentralised Models To shatter this sterile geometry, we must embrace the serpentine paths of [[Lateral Thinking]], as Edward de Bono suggests, breaking free from the suffocating tyranny of “the only way.” Anarchistic ideals, like vines coiling through the ruins of abandoned towers, offer visions of circular, decentralised systems that reject the cold edicts of top-down control. These adaptive systems reflect the [[Ecology]] of life itself, favouring interdependence and flux over dominance and rigidity. Communal living and resource-sharing are not flights of fancy but natural antidotes to the sterile inertia of agrilogistical thought. Rewriting the Myths: Cultural Narratives Yet, before we can walk these freer paths, we must dismantle the golden idols of hierarchy—the cultural myths that sanctify domination and call it progress. The tale that conquest is [[Civilisation]], that hoarding is prosperity, must be dragged [[into the light]]. Baudelaire’s admonition—“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—echoes here, for what is hierarchy if not a devil in plain sight? By exorcising these myths, we open the Overton window to anarchistic ideals of autonomy, mutual care, and the radical equality of all living things. Let us not march forward like soldiers on a line but wander sideways like poets seeking hidden [[Gardens]], cultivating a new vocabulary of sustainability and justice to replace the sterile language of control.. Judeo-Christian Traditions and Alternative Models While Judeo-Christian traditions have often been co-opted to reinforce hierarchical power, they also contain narratives that support anarchistic and [[egalitarian]] principles. • Imitation of Virtue: Judeo-Christian teachings, such as the call to [[Knowledge/Love]] one’s neighbour, [[Practice]] humility, and care for the oppressed, offer a counterpoint to mimetic desires rooted in competition or domination. • Example: The early Christian communities often practiced forms of communal ownership and egalitarian governance, which serve as historical examples of alternative societal models. These can be reframed to support a shift in the Overton window toward anarchistic values. • Critique of Idolatry: Girard’s analysis of scapegoating aligns with anarchistic critiques of power structures. Both expose how elites maintain control by redirecting societal conflicts onto vulnerable groups. Reclaiming this narrative can help dismantle the myths that sustain hierarchies and open the window to egalitarian alternatives. Feelings, Needs, and Nonviolent Communication Rosenberg’s [[NVC]] complements these ideas by providing practical tools to challenge existing norms and foster egalitarian [[Relationships]]: • Empathy as Resistance: By prioritising feelings and needs, NVC undermines the competition and rivalry fostered by mimetic desire. It reframes conflict not as a zero-sum game but as an opportunity for mutual understanding and collaboration, reflecting anarchistic ideals of decentralised conflict resolution. • Example: In community organising, NVC can help de-escalate tensions between competing factions and refocus efforts on shared goals, such as autonomy and equality. • Reclaiming Desire: NVC’s focus on recognising authentic needs (e.g., safety, connection, freedom) provides a way to shift societal desires away from material accumulation or dominance toward solidarity and mutual aid. This challenges the consumerist logic of agrilogistics and opens space for anarchistic ideals to gain traction. Shifting the Overton Window Toward Anarchism To shift the Overton window to include anarchistic and egalitarian ideas, these frameworks offer actionable strategies: 1. Create Alternative Models: As Girard’s theory shows, people desire what they see others valuing. Demonstrating viable anarchistic practices—such as worker cooperatives, [[Community]]-led decision-making, and mutual aid networks—can inspire imitation and normalise these ideas. 2. Challenge Dominant Narratives: Morton and Girard highlight how entrenched systems perpetuate themselves through uncritical imitation and extractive logic. Exposing these mechanisms and promoting stories of interdependence and equity can broaden societal discourse. 3. Empower Emotional Literacy: Rosenberg’s NVC reveals the importance of addressing feelings and needs to transform conflict. Incorporating emotional intelligence into public discourse can foster a [[Culture]] of empathy and collaboration, reducing resistance to anarchistic principles. 4. Reimagine Desirable Futures: Moving away from hierarchical systems requires reframing the ideals of success, progress, and power. Morton’s ecological insights and Judeo-Christian teachings on humility and care offer frameworks for imagining a society where freedom and equality are paramount. By weaving together mimetic theory, agrilogistics, religious narratives, and emotional [[Awareness]], this framework illuminates how societal desires are constructed and how they can be redirected. Shifting the Overton window toward anarchistic and egalitarian ideals involves disrupting harmful cycles of imitation, fostering empathy, and demonstrating alternative ways of living that prioritise autonomy, mutual care, and sustainability.