Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id OAA05384 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 5 Jul 2001 14:29:33 +0100 Message-ID: <000901c1055b$ea50a100$8d03bed4@default> From: "Kenneth Van Oost" <Kenneth.Van.Oost@village.uunet.be> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <2D1C159B783DD211808A006008062D3101745F1B@inchna.stir.ac.uk> Subject: Re: sexual selection and memes Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 16:07:23 +0200 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Hi Vincent,
You wrote,
This is an interesting idea, since I'm not sure it's right. It
seems to me that one of the problems with memetics is the fidelity question.
Like games of chinese whispers, cultural transmission can become
extraordinarily distorted over time, so I don't know about efficiency.
<< Maybe in order to know its efficiency you have to look for the
" collective stream" , the overall stream of data and not look at the
individual distortion which seems to pop up very easily !?
One of the paradoxical things about religions, it seems to me, is that one
the
one hand they arguably have clear memetic components, but on the other the
complexities of their rituals would tend against their successful
transmission. As I'm sure has been remarked before, would Jesus on his
return recognise those people who call themselves 'Christians' to be related
to his teachings?
<< Same argument here, though !
Does he have to find, to know for that matter those individuals to make
sure that his teachings did make it with time !?
If he, for example should look at some of our societies and to what kind
of laws we have, he should know that justice, equality, compassion
and far more greater social structures find there bias in his teachings.
If he should look at the " collective structures " he would find that his
legacy is still alive.
What about the notion that a lot of cultural behaviours that don 't
make much sense in terms of survival utility ( hence something else must be
going on hence memes) may be explainable in terms of sexual selection ?
<< To comment this, Vincent I would like to ask you a question_
what about the notion that more feminized behavior in men is poppin' up !?
Would that be a cultural behavior in sense of survival utility or would it
be
explainable in terms of sexual selection !?
IMO_ it is a genetic drift towards ' womanizing ' and therefor terms of
sexual selection are more approiate or useful than terms of cultural be-
havior.
I don 't see to which extend blokes will intentionaly tend to have more
feminized behaviorcharacteristics if not for sexual purposes !?
But I agree, cultural tendencies are involved_ remerber, most females
like a tender, carrying man above a macho- bloke.
(What in a sense could be just another meme though,....)
Best regards,
Kenneth
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