Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id VAA00945 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Sun, 17 Feb 2002 21:52:02 GMT Message-ID: <000901c1b7e9$7f519300$12afeb3e@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <kennethvanoost@myrealbox.com> References: <5.1.0.14.0.20020215133938.02c98c30@pop.cogeco.ca><007a01c1b6cb$575fd880$5e2ffea9@oemcomputer> <006901c1b720$11b38a20$5e2ffea9@oemcomputer> Subject: Re: draft abstract Sex, Drugs and Cults Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 20:29:08 +0100 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MIMEOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
----- Original Message -----
From: Philip Jonkers <philipjonkers@prodigy.net>
> > That religion and cults can be as addictive as drugs I sussed last year
> > after reading chapter 14 of the Meme-Machine. It was Marx who said
that religion is opium for the people'. Last year I posted an hypothesis on
> this list stating that cultural behavior (processing memes) has to be
rewarded by the brain because it originally chances of survival.
Consequently culture actually evolves actually through the grace of our
spoiled reward-centers (spoiled because they have to reward biological
activity (sex, feeding, fleeing etc.) as well as cultural).
> > A downside of having such an active reward center is that it makes us
> > prone to develop addictive behavior, be it sex, drugs, alcohol,
gambling,
> > eating, not eating (boulimia, anorexia).
>
> I would like to add that every activity that is rewarded can be addictive.
> Attention (from cults) is particularly rewarding as it reinforces the
social
> status as you say. Therefore attention is particularly addictive.
Hi Philip,
I don 't know, this sounds somewhat strange to me.
I got a lot attention in doing my work from my boss(es) and colleagues
and that due that I get the work done in a reasonable time ( others don 't
like the stress and don 't like working together with allochtones) but the
only reward I get is my money on the end of the month.
It satisfies me of course, I like what I do, but I ain 't get any
biological/
natural or sexual reward out it.
I don 't see that the surrounding culture is evolving through the grace of
my than spoiled- reward centers...
I work together with a lot of young woman, and I suppose some would
have a crush on me ( I don 't know), I fool around ( not in the sexual
sense of the word), I tease and I play, but I never thought of this being
a biological/ sexual benefit... there is no reward... there is, I get the
work
easily done in such a way, but IMO there is no addiction, no development
of any addictive behavior either. I am like I am and in being so I get work
done where others fail, but this is not paticularly addictive, not to me
anyway. I don 't feel that my social status is being reinforced, I earn
enough money to live a good life, but I don 't show it....
There is of course some economical pressure, efficiency and production
rates has to be attent to, most of the time I get them, but there also,
there
is no sexual/ biological/ natural benifit...
Maybe I am just stupid....financial rewards can be quite addictive I agree,
but to some extend there is a limit, no boss will pay you so mush that he
will be broke at the end of the month....
Regards,
Kenneth
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