From: "Richard Brodie" <richard@brodietech.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: RE: astrology-talk behavior
Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 01:28:28 +0200
In-Reply-To: <2CDFE2C8F598D21197C800C04F911B20224C25@DELTA.newhouse.akzonobel.nl>
Derek,
Hello from Prague. I'm amused that there are such interesting threads going
on both here and in the Church of Virus list while I'm traveling in Europe.
The ease with which I can connect to the Internet these days from anywhere
is truly amazing.
<<So what would the mechanism for the spread of astrology-inquiring be?>>
Talking about signs is one easy way for a man to create a bit of rapport
with a woman, which gives him an edge in the mating game. (The "speed
seduction" that Aaron has been promoting is an extreme form of creating
rapport using various techniques.) If she brings it up, an argumentative
dismissal will likely kill the deal with most personality types (although,
of course, it takes all kinds...). So a man who has discovered that being
seen as agreeable increases his chances will end up talking about astrology
if a woman brings it up. Once a man gets the idea that women are interested
in astrology -- and my personal experience is that most seem to be, even if
just "for fun" -- he will bring it up himself.
The result is that more conversations about astrology occur as a result of
men's desire to score with women.
Personally I prefer to talk about Enneagram types.
Richard Brodie richard@brodietech.com
Author, "Virus of the Mind: The New Science of the Meme"
Free newsletter! http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
===============================================================
This was distributed via the memetics list associated with the
Journal of Memetics - Evolutionary Models of Information Transmission
For information about the journal and the list (e.g. unsubscribing)
see: http://www.cpm.mmu.ac.uk/jom-emit