Humans reproduce two ways, biologically using genes and culturally using memes. In biological reproduction, we don't have a choice regarding what genes we inherit. Our gender, race, and other traits passed on through genes are predetermined. Genes can only be transmitted from parent to offspring. Evolution occurs very slowly. In fact, Humans have not undergone a major genetic change in the past 10,000 years and despite diverging from chimpanzees around 6 million years ago, we still share 98.8% of our DNA with them.
Memes, conversely, are disseminated through culture. Memes can change drastically even within a single generation. As we mature, we realize that we have the choice to accept or discard memes. As we accumulate more life experience, we acquire additional sources of memes that influence us directly or indirectly. Although we can choose which memes to embrace or reject, most individuals subconsciously adopt the memes passed down from society, thereby perpetuating its functioning.
If you observe your day-to-day actions, you'll likely find that most, if not all, stem from the memes propagated by society. As Jung says, "The world will ask who you are, and if you do not know, the world will tell you." When you lack intrinsic desires, society's desires often become yours. The danger lies in adopting these external desires without question. If you fail to fulfill them, society may criticize you, and worse, you may berate yourself for neglecting your true aspirations. This cycle perpetuates a life driven by external validation rather than authentic self-realization.
Mimetic desire refers to the notion that individuals do not autonomously desire objects, goals, or ambitions; instead, we learn what to desire by observing the desires of others. We desire things because we see others desiring them, not due to the inherent value of the objects themselves.
The idea of something is often better than the actual thing itself, and when you obtain it, the joy of acquisition will be much less than expected and will fade quickly. Our wants reside in the future, yet when we wish for them, we fail to comprehend the consequences of attaining them. It's easy to forget that we are not the same as we were 5 years ago; in fact, we are not even the same as a year ago. So how can you yearn for something in the future and assume that our future self will have the same desires?
People think they will work hard in their 20s, accumulate wealth, retire in their 30s, then pursue their passions, relocate to a calm place, and simply relax for the remainder of their lives. However, when the time comes, even if they have amassed enough money, they may realize they no longer want to do that, perhaps because their desires have evolved, or they have acquired new responsibilities, or their values and priorities have shifted.
Therefore, do what you want to do now because you may not want to do it later. And remember, it's ok to have desires that others may not comprehend.