Re: memetics-digest V1 #1306

From: joedees@bellsouth.net
Date: Sun 09 Mar 2003 - 01:18:34 GMT

  • Next message: Grant Callaghan: "Re: memetics-digest V1 #1294"

    >
    > On Saturday, March 8, 2003, at 06:55 PM, memetics-digest wrote:
    >
    > > As such it is not part of the culture pool, but its possible
    > > potential shapes ideas.
    >
    > Again, I'm totally at a loss to see how something completely
    > uncommunicated within an individual's brain is somehow shaping any
    > ideas, whatsoever. If it is not part of the culture pool, it ain't
    > even getting wet.
    >
    It's splashing other ideas that DO get communicated in a bedrenched form.
    >
    > If it is not part of the solution, it is nowhere. Nada. I am more than
    > willing to say that an individual can think and manufacture dreams and
    > images within his mind all day long and into the wee hours, but I am
    > not willing to say that, once his performance is over, that what was
    > in his mind was what was performed, or that what was in his mind was
    > apprehended in any way (even if, some future day to be decided, we
    > might look into his brain's processes very minutely), or that
    > subsequent individual minds, forming more thoughts, and hence
    > performing, need have any connection to that original thought,
    > whatever it was.
    >
    An individual can read in the newspaper that rabies is on the rise, and this can persuade him to (1) update his pet's shots, (2) get rid of his pet, (3) avoid that summer camping trip, (4) peruse future editions for more info., (5) access the internet anf google it, (6) take fewer walks in the park, (7) take a stick along with him when he does walk in the park,
    (8) not take his pet with him when he walks in the park, (10) be sure to take his pet with him when he walks in the park, and on and on and on...all these have to do with the modifications of pre-existing cognitively stored memes so that behavior already indulged in is altered. It does not reqire him to contact all his friends with news of the hydrophobia epidemic. A novel meme alters the gestalt in which it embeds, so that other memes, and other behaviors based upon them, are altered, even if the initial meme is not recommunicated.
    >
    > At any rate, if there is no performance, there is nothing to
    > apprehend, and nothing to form any thoughts about or to perform again.
    >
    As my forgoing example amply demonstrates, you saam to entertain an exceedingly narrow view of what constitutes performance or its alteration.
    >
    > Thoughts held within the brain and non-performance are both culturally
    > useless, and I'm still at a loss to see how they are not.
    >
    Perhaps I have helped to pry the scales from your eyes. Perhaps not.
    >
    > Show me what I didn't do today, and I'll tell you what you were
    > thinking....
    >
    You didn't understand, and that was precisely what I was thinking when I read your post....
    >
    > - 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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