Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id BAA02502 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Mon, 18 Feb 2002 01:55:45 GMT Date: Sun, 17 Feb 2002 17:50:09 -0800 Message-Id: <200202180150.g1I1o9C12646@mail9.bigmailbox.com> Content-Type: text/plain Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: binary X-Mailer: MIME-tools 4.104 (Entity 4.116) X-Originating-Ip: [65.80.163.167] From: "Joe Dees" <joedees@addall.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Words and Memes Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk('binary' encoding is not supported, stored as-is)
> "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> memetics@mmu.ac.uk Re: Words and MemesDate: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 15:01:53 -0800
>Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
>> > >In my view, memetics is all about the struggle between reflective
>> > >human self-replicators and unreflective memetic self-replicators.
>> >
>> > I don't understand this conflict business.
>>
>>The conflict arises because, inevitably, some of our memified notions will
>>be pathological. Ideas can't distinguish between right and wrong. Any
>>idea, no matter how ridiculous, can become self-replicating. Though quite
>>powerful, "L. Ron is God" doesn't contribute to the good of the social
>>body.
>>It's a freelance meme, much like a carcinogenic cell. When an alternative
>>social body begins to form around a carcinogenic meme, the result is cult,
>>not culture.
>>
>> > Humans are as adapted to load and run memes as
>> > computers are to load and run software. Software is useless without
>> > without hardware and vice versa. In our mental lives we are self
>>booting,
>> > self programming, start from a single cell organisms. And what we can
>> > load depends to high extent on what we have loaded earlier. As an
>> > example, you won't get anywhere with higher mathematics without a
>> > foundation clear down to arithmetic, and you need a foundation of
>> > physical concepts you learn as a small child such as counting and
>> > quantity even before you get to arithmetic.
>>
>>We need memes in order to progress beyond the simplest level of culture.
>>But they'll turn around and bite us if we're not careful.
>>
>>Ted
>>
>> >
>> > Keith
>> >
>Over the long and bloody history of tribes competing for land and resources,
>the memes of war have saved our ancestors as often as the memes of peace.
>The Indo-Europeans worshiped gods of war as did the Greeks and Romans.
>Until the idea of one god came along, every civilization I've read about had
>a form of worship built around asking some god for success in battle. The
>Chinese used to write their requests on the backs of turtle shells and the
>shoulder blades of sheep.
>
>The martial arts we practice today were handed down from the peaceful
>buddhists. No civilization has been without its dark and bloody side and
>the religious ferver that goes with it. It's hard to offer one's body up in
>battle without a belief system to justify the act. It's a way of overcoming
>fear. Fear itself is a soldier's greatest enemy. It gets in the way of
>what he has to do.
>
Fear is the mind-killer...
Paul Muad-dib (otherwias known as Paul Atreides)
>
>Grant
>
>
>_________________________________________________________________
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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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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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