Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id GAA28659 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk); Fri, 8 Feb 2002 06:28:38 GMT Message-ID: <009b01c1b071$0db5dd20$3e03aace@oemcomputer> From: "Philip Jonkers" <philipjonkers@prodigy.net> To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk> References: <F236uciGbN23Wvg58w10000d0cd@hotmail.com> <004501c1adb1$0910d800$6a24f4d8@teddace> Subject: Re: Words and memes Date: Thu, 7 Feb 2002 22:20:13 -0900 Organization: Prodigy Internet Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-Mimeole: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 Sender: fmb-majordomo@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
Ted:
> As long as the knowledge propagates according to conscious intention, it's
> not a meme. One person retells the story because it's bizarre enough to
get
> people's attention. Another doesn't tell it because he's afraid he'll
have
> to clean up the mess. It's all intentional. The knowledge is being
> passively replicated (or withheld) through conscious descisions, rather
than
> actively self-replicating. With no motive-power of its own, it stops
> circulating once everyone gets tired of it.
>
> That memes spread without rational intent doesn't mean they can't still be
> perfectly rational. Memes don't care whether they make sense or not--
they
> just propagate. The meme for peeing in toilets is rational, but because
we
> accept it reflexively, it propagates without our conscious examination of
> its merit. You don't have to stop and think, "Does this really make
sense?"
> every time you go to the bathroom to pee. A meme is an idea that thinks
> itself, so we don't have to bother.
This is a little too metaphysical for the likes of me. Memes think as much
as
beef steaks or turkey sandwiches. It's the spellbound effect some memes seem
to cast over hosts that raises the notion that memes are in control. Memes
however
are blind, have no will and are non-living entities. In a seemingly
intractable and
superficially random fashion memes of all kinds are created by humans in due
course of cultural evolution. Some memes have a very high infection rate
(e.g. religion, science) and some die a quick death (e.g. failed fads).
Those who have a high infection rate owe this to succeeding in convincing
the hosts of a high increase of fitness upon adoption. Some of this fitness
increase is genuine (technology, ways to improve survival that kind of
stuff) and some of them are phoney as they come (religion, cults, scams
etc.).
None however are ghostly entities swarming around us waiting for an
opportunity
to seize control.
Philip.
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