From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: Hosts vs. Instances
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 1998 07:52:17 -0700
In-Reply-To: <36115A2C.E4784D27@metz.une.edu.au>
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Very good! You guys are getting George Bernard Shaw's memetic admonition
down very well: if you can't say something in an irritating way, you may as
well not have said it at all.
Bruce wrote:
<If when the *meme* information is communicated to a human it penetrates
(competes successfully with other memes), is activated (triggered by pattern
identification or by subverting or converting other processes), is
recognised (as a memory object), then replicates (which may include
mutation) by causing the host to pass on the meme in some form; THEN we are
talking about a recogniseable memetic event. There may even be a
physiological or psychological explanation for this phenomena. Regardless
of the process, the validation of memes relies on the discovery of how it
works in a *real* situation, in *real* time, and what *real* effect it has
on human behaviour. >
Yes, this is the generally accepted operational definition of meme. One
thing not to forget is that the meme is not the only interesting cultural
replicator. The model of replicating mental information. in fact, becomes
less and less interesting the more I try to find "pure" examples of it.
Memes seemingly become inextricably interwoven with cultural artifacts to
the point where it's often difficult to call any one piece of information a
true replicator or any cultural artifact a vehicle.
The other kind of replicator, which I have called a virus of the mind, is a
cultural organism that relies on psychological and physical forces to hold
it together and USES people's minds, influencing their behavior to help it
replicate. Chain letters, evangelistic religions and multi-level marketing
businesses are the canonical examples of mind viruses. To me, these are
extremely interesting both because there is so much power and money at stake
by learning to harness designer viruses AND because I can actually do some
memetic engineering and try them out!
My sympathy on the situation with your mother-in-law. A (probably
apocryphal) quote from Socrates from my book Getting Past OK might be
extended to include in-laws and even memeticists:
"By all means marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy. If you get
a bad one, you'll become a philosopher."
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
Free newsletter! Visit Meme Central at
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
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<If when = the *meme*=20 information is communicated to a human it penetrates (competes = successfully with=20 other memes), is activated (triggered by pattern identification or by = subverting=20 or converting other processes), is recognised (as a memory object), then = replicates (which may include mutation) by causing the host to pass on = the meme=20 in some form; THEN we are talking about a recogniseable memetic = event. =20 There may even be a physiological or psychological explanation for this=20 phenomena. Regardless of the process, the validation of memes = relies on=20 the discovery of how it works in a *real* situation, in *real* time, and = what=20 *real* effect it has on human behaviour. > =