Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id QAA19864 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 23 Jan 2002 16:32:47 GMT X-Originating-IP: [137.110.248.206] From: "Grant Callaghan" <grantc4@hotmail.com> To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk Subject: Re: Emotional Expression Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2002 08:28:26 -0800 Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed Message-ID: <LAW2-F88W5k1Ed28kIN00000e4a@hotmail.com> X-OriginalArrivalTime: 23 Jan 2002 16:28:26.0759 (UTC) FILETIME=[FC104170:01C1A42A] Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
>
>Surely combinations of emotions can be considered as memes (or memeplexs)
>which carry with them thier own connotations. If you say that emotions of
>others or theories(?) can influence you how is this different from ideas
>influencing you? If you swap idea for emotion were is the difference?
>Steve
>
>Emotions and ideas can be completely detached, as the same idea can have
>a different emotial impact on different people and yet preserve its
>meaning.
>For instance, the idea `make peace not war', is usually met with a joyous
>emotion. The people at the war-industry however meet it with a different
>emotion as they will regard it as an `unrealistic, untenable and
>overromantic idea'.
>By the way, I like to see the former happen of course but recognize that
>it's
>hardly feasible if at all.
>Also, I don't think emotions are directly transmittable by themselves. You
>can't
>transfer anger without first communicating its source. Therefore I wouldn't
>say
>emotions are memes.
>
>Philip.
>
>
On PBS last night they reran the NOVA program on brain damage and how it
affects perception. I was surprised to learn that we have an area of the
brain that governs things that are "mine" and the emotions that go with
them. One of the people studied had an affliction that caused him not to
recognize his mother, his father and his home as "his." When tested on a
galvanometer, his emotional reaction to them visually was the same as his
reaction to a stranger. But strangely enough, when communicating over the
telephone he still recognized them. The area of the injury was in the
temperal lobe.
It just goes to show we have no idea how much of what we think we think is
hard wired into our brains and genetic rather than memetic in nature.
Grant
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