Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA06738 (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 18:09:56 GMT Message-ID: <003601c1b8ae$a5b1d580$5e2ffea9@oemcomputer> From: "Philip Jonkers" <philipjonkers@prodigy.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <FAEDD716-2409-11D6-8DEC-003065B9A95A@harvard.edu> Subject: Re: draft abstract Sex, Drugs and Cults Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 10:01:16 -0900 Organization: Prodigy Internet Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2600.0000 X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2600.0000 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Philip:
> >> I would like to add that every activity that is rewarded can be
> >> addictive.
> >> Attention (from cults) is particularly rewarding
Wade:
> One of the reasons alternative (quack) medicine is popular is because
> the practitioners (con-artists) are _attentive_ to the patient (mark).
>
> The fact that such treatments (snake-oils) are non-curative, is just
> another example of memetic behavior being antagonistic to survival.
>
> Adherents to quackery are most definitely showing cultish behavior.
True, but even quackery can be effective to some extent
in fortifying the `mental backbone' of the patients needed
to overcome the illness or affliction. Indeed, attention seems to be the
determinant instead of the practise of
sound medicine of course.
Philip.
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