Re: memes defined operationally (from article)

From: Philip Jonkers (philosophimur@dygo.com)
Date: Tue 14 Jan 2003 - 19:18:30 GMT

  • Next message: Kenneth Van Oost: "Fw: new memetics article"

    Keith:
    > "Meme" is similar to "idea," but not all ideas are memes. A
    >passing idea which you do not communicate to others, or one which
    >fails to take root in others, falls short of being a meme.

    (Oops silly me, I forgot another technicality.) Susan Blackmore wouldn't agree here I think. You see, ideas that one has of their one define the so-called self-plex. Their are two sources for generating the self-plex. 1. The bearer of the self-plex. 2. Everybody but the bearer, most prominently peers. Items from the second category are other people's perception of your person. Stuff passed onto you about you needn't be veridical at first but can very well become true through what I regard as the very powerful psychological mechanism called a self-fulfilling prophecy (= the powerhouse behind astrology, tarot reading and similar BS if you ask me). Here the receiver and transmitter of memes are different from eachother. Such ideas qualify as memes according to your suggestion.

    Ideas from the first category are obtained through introspection and self-reflection. In an abstract sense the transmitter and receiver of the meme are one and the same person. Such things wouldn't count as memes according to you, but would according to Blackmore (and me).

    Phil

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