Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id RAA00349 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk); Thu, 4 Oct 2001 17:48:24 +0100 From: Philip Jonkers <P.A.E.Jonkers@phys.rug.nl> X-Authentication-Warning: rugth1.phys.rug.nl: www-data set sender to jonkers@localhost using -f To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: What/Who selects memes? Message-ID: <1002213831.3bbc91c748d90@rugth1.phys.rug.nl> Date: Thu, 04 Oct 2001 18:43:51 +0200 (CEST) References: <E15oQW9-0007mM-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk> In-Reply-To: <E15oQW9-0007mM-00@dryctnath.mmu.ac.uk> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit User-Agent: IMP/PHP IMAP webmail program 2.2.6 X-Originating-IP: 129.125.13.3 Sender: fmb-bounces@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Salice:
> Yes, so i, my brain selects the meme "Blueness". And someone else
> selects the meme "Form in Cubism". So why? What makes different
> people get excited by different memes if memes are independent from
> persons brains?
It's all a matter of taste.
The taste one has regarding whatever subject matter, be it music,
science, art, sports (or no sports at all) are determined by
both by genes and memes. Genes build the brain, they give you
certain innate predispositions (driven by evolutionary pressures)
towards liking certain things and
disliking others. The other factor comes from your own personal
memetic history. You are exposed to different kinds of music
than your folks do (I, for one, do).
Chances are that you like entirely different
kinds of music than they do, inspite of having the same genes
as your parents do. Musical preference is particularly memetic.
This is because music evolves with time, you and your peers
are exposed to different kinds of music than your parents have.
You attach blissful (at parties, warm memories or whatever)
memories to the music of that day. As such,
your appreciation for that music too grows even if you didn't
like it in the first place. This explains the generation
gap (of music, perhaps art in general as art evolves too
though at a slower pace).
Philip.
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