Toddler parallels: Playground mimetic desire 🧒

I learn so much about the foundations of relating watching my son. Two year old Jack was playing on a bocce ball court with a five year old and a three year old. Neither of the older kids cared about the janky red cart in the corner… until Jack got obsessed with it. Suddenly the other kids really wanted to play with it too! How much of what we as adults think is important comes from the same place? How much is our economy built on wanting just because others want? How much of our suffering? (Sometimes I feel like instagram is built on this mimetic desire).

It also struck me how hard it is to share. Kids, like us, can bring each other up (Jack’s grammar and pronunciation improved greatly after hanging out with these kids). But we can also bring each other down to our lowest common denominator. 

At one point the five year old’s dad questioned his daughter’s willingness to fight with a two year old. Why not just give him what he wants, since a red cart isn’t that important to the five year old? But of course, we all do the same thing as adults. How often do I refuse to give someone what they want, out of pride, or fear?

With love, Jordan