René Girard’s theory of mimetic desire reveals a profound truth about human motivation: we don’t desire things independently, but rather imitate the desires of others whom we consider models. This phenomenon illuminates the intense competitive culture surrounding India’s civil services and entrance examinations with startling clarity.
Consider the UPSC aspirant who begins their journey not from an intrinsic calling to serve, but after meeting a District Collector or SP at a public event. The authority, respect, and social prestige embodied by these officers become objects of desire—not because the aspirant independently assessed their life goals, but because they witnessed a living model of success. Suddenly, thousands of young graduates converge on coaching hubs in Delhi, Prayagraj, and Pune, each imitating not just study strategies but entire lifestyles: the same books, same daily routines, same sacrifices. The desire becomes triangular—mediated through the role model rather than originating from within.
Similarly, the frenzy surrounding IIT and medical college admissions exemplifies mimetic rivalry at its most intense. Students don’t merely study; they meticulously replicate the methods of successful seniors—their coaching institutes, study schedules, even motivational mantras. When a senior cracks IIT-JEE, their notes become sacred texts, their strategies gospel. Parents push children toward these institutions not always from careful consideration of the child’s aptitude, but because society has designated these as ultimate markers of success.
Girard warned that mimetic desire inevitably leads to rivalry and conflict, as multiple people pursue the same limited objects through imitation. The mental health crisis among competitive exam aspirants, the suicides in Kota, the years lost in repeated attempts—these are tragic manifestations of mimetic desire gone awry. We compete not because we’ve independently chosen our goals, but because we’ve learned to desire what others desire, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of imitation, competition, and often, disillusionment.
Social media, particularly Instagram reels, has turbo-charged this mimetic contagion to unprecedented levels. Today’s aspirant is bombarded with 30-second glimpses of “successful” preparation— motivational morning routines at 4 AM, perfectly organized notes, and the ultimate prize: the victory reel of someone holding their selection letter. These curated snapshots create hyperreal models of desire that previous generations never encountered. An aspirant no longer just imitates a distant collector they met once; they now have dozens of “study influencers” feeding them a constant stream of idealized preparation lifestyles. The algorithm amplifies the most viral success stories, creating the illusion that everyone is succeeding except you. This digital mimetic desire is more insidious because it’s relentless and omnipresent—every scroll reinforces what you should want, how you should study, what success should look like. The result is a generation of aspirants who’ve outsourced not just their study methods but their very sense of self-worth to the mimetic theater of social media, where desire begets imitation, imitation begets competition, and competition often begets despair.