Re: Useless memes

From: Chuck Palson (cpalson@mediaone.net)
Date: Fri May 12 2000 - 13:53:22 BST

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    Date: Fri, 12 May 2000 13:53:22 +0100
    From: Chuck Palson <cpalson@mediaone.net>
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    Subject: Re: Useless memes
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    Bruce Jones wrote:

    > > -----Original Message-----
    > > From: Chuck Palson [SMTP:cpalson@mediaone.net]
    > > Subject: Re: Useless memes
    > >
    > > > Which brings us to why the conundrum remains a conundrum- it's all about
    > > > sex, the first hinge of all meaning.
    > >
    > The first hinge of all meaning is power of self over environment. I
    > have power over you by being, in my mind, something you are not or physical
    > power by being stronger, faster, better at hiding or some other survival
    > requirement. Unfortunately sex, not reproduction, is a strong, and to some
    > extent primary, manifestation of that power, either giving or taking.

    That depends on whether you are interested in the immediate or ultimate
    causation. From the latter point of view, genes have been passed on that
    reproduce. So in that sense everything eventually boils down to sexual in the
    reproductive sense. From an immediate point of view, of course, sex without
    reproduction moves an awful lot of behavior - more than we sometimes realize.
    And I don't think it's a manifestation of that power as much as it is its moving
    force. For example, lots of young men get into bands because it's a great way to
    attract the girls. But that's the most obvious. Men probably get into most
    occupations because they want to make money which in turn gets them mates, but
    this motivation gets hidden a lot.

    >
    >
    > Bruce Jones
    >
    > ===============================================================
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    > see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit

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    This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
    Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
    For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
    see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit



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