Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id LAA26119 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 10 Nov 2000 11:20:20 GMT Message-ID: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745AF9@inchna.stir.ac.uk> From: Vincent Campbell <v.p.campbell@stir.ac.uk> To: "'memetics@mmu.ac.uk'" <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: RE: Tests show a human side to chimps Date: Fri, 10 Nov 2000 11:18:07 -0000 X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2650.21) Content-Type: text/plain Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Just to finish off my response to your comments, Robin.
>What makes us open to memes, generally, is the fact that we're an
>intelligent, social species. What makes us SO open to SUCH
ridiculous
>memes is the fact that we don't know either what's good for us, or
what
>will make us happy. No big mystery.
Well, another way of putting it, is that we constantly think we know what
will make us happy, but are usually wrong. This occurs in two senses as
well- often what we think we know turns out to be nothing but belief or
misunderstanding, and often what we perceive as being happiness is often
self-delusion (or comes at the expense of others' happiness). When both go
together then you really lose out.
As to intelligent social species, well so are dolphins, could they have
memes?
Vincent
BTW, and entirely unrelated to the discussion, did you see the Omnibus the
other night about William Blake? He's my favourite poet. I like his art
also (although not as much as Schiele's or Cezanne's).
I particularly like the lines in 'The Garden of Love' that go-
And priests in black gowns
Were walking their rounds,
And binding with briers,
My joys and desires.
There's a man that understood the true nature of organised religion.
Anyone in or around London over the next few months can see a Blake
exhibition at the Tate (the old one, not the Tate Modern). That's if it's
not underwater by now, like the rest of England.
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