Design and the Mimetic Tendency

This Twitter post by @GuyDealership captures something important: humans have a mimetic tendency that leads us to copy others rather than break new ground.

The French philosopher of social science Rene Girard posited "mimetic desire" as an explanation: "Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires."

Maybe this explains why so many schools we work with seem conservative when it comes to anything new with teaching and learning. And why so many schools look exactly like their peers.