Re: memetics-digest V1 #1302

From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Wed 05 Mar 2003 - 19:49:02 GMT

  • Next message: Wade T. Smith: "heard"

    >
    > On Wednesday, March 5, 2003, at 01:18 PM, memetics-digest wrote:
    >
    > > What I'm proposing is that the moment I translate something in my
    > > mind into a medium of communication and transmit it to you, the
    > > "cultural context" of that message is "gone".
    >
    > I like it. It sort of mirrors what I say when I say there are no memes
    > in the mind, because the context is, as you say, not there, really.
    >
    It is accomodated for assimilation by a similar yet not identical cognitive gestalt.
    >
    > > "meaning is in the culture, not the medium of communication".
    >
    > I like that, too. However, we need some medium of communication, so it
    > does play a role. But, yes, meaning is in the culture, and culture is
    > extrinsic.
    >
    The medium is the structure; the meaning is the semantic contyent.
    >
    > > From within my brain, there isn't any difference between wood
    > > carvings, hieroglyphics, or this text save that some of the
    > > information *appears* more accessible. Is it really, in an absolute
    > > sense? I don't know. I can't know. But that inability to
    > > understand doesn't limit the universe across time and space.
    >
    > Yes, you have no memes in your brain- no information passed on in
    > identical form from one artifact or behavior to another. What you have
    > is, as you say, accessibility to the stored information (memories) in
    > your brain, according to the way you've stored it, or it's been
    > allowed to be stored in that brain, both by intrinsic processes of
    > mental development and extrinsic processes of cultural environment and
    > learning.
    >
    Memories are meme-ories, and may not only be stored in the brain, but alos modified there.
    >
    > Different cultures give different structures to these memories, if
    > they can, and you move within the culture's environment, language,
    > ritual, clothing, songs, etc. Other memories also happen, from many
    > other sources, some within, and some without, your 'home-base'
    > culture. (Yes, culture is a somewhat meaningless term, but it is,
    > after all is said and done, where and when you are.)
    >
    Culture is both internal and external.
    >
    > > But none of it has any inherent meaning until it
    > > gets into my head.
    >
    > The nub, because I disagree with this. None of it has any meaning
    > until you perform it. There is no meaning, (review your first quote)
    > in your head.
    >
    You cannot physically perform what you do not cognitively possess.
    >
    > - Wade
    >
    >
    > ===============================================================
    > 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
    >

    =============================================================== 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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