[skolskoly]

>Also, I’m envious and have a mimetic desire to model you :)

Well, what is the model then? I would say I roughly understand the sentiment, but if you asked me, I would say that the envy stems from a past positive or negative experience. Being around someone who made you feel "uncool" in comparison, or being perceived as cool and getting recognition.

That's Pavlovian right? You experience an emotion caused by similarities to a past stimulus. Sure, the emotion is triggered by a model of reality. That's pattern recognition though, not "role-modelling." You didn't learn your fear of snakes on TV. That shit's hard wired. (Well, for most people, if you have it. Kind of a weird example because it can be very unconscious. Until you find yourself spontaneously jumping at a garden hose.)

I do think that Burgis' model applies to fad-following behaviour, and does a good job of explaining trend-followers. The example of wearing clothes because you want to look like the model makes sense. Makes sense, but is it true? Do most people experience this? I don't think so. My problem is that you can over apply the theory to situations where there is probably no model, but you can fabricate one if you try hard enough.