Message-Id: <3.0.1.32.19990702134325.01887c94@popmail.mcs.net>
Date: Fri, 02 Jul 1999 13:43:25 -0500
To: memetics@mmu.ac.uk
From: Aaron Lynch <aaron@mcs.net>
Subject: Re: astrology-talk behavior
In-Reply-To: <377BCAC0.D059D113@erols.com>
At 04:08 PM 7/1/99 -0400, Thomas McMahan wrote:
>I do get the point of your astrology parable, but I'm left wondering
>that a memetic approach can easily reduce itself into silliness with the
>notion that all ideas are equivalent, even mistaken ones, as long as it
>satisfies some particular need of mine at the moment. I think the
>parallel between genes (whose "mistakes" advance their evolution in an
>unthinking way) and memes (whose very existence is wrapped up in
>thinking) can be taken too far.
>
>If, on the other hand, your story was meant in an ironic or wry way, its
>a good one!
Thank you, Thomas.
The wry aspect is in treating the astrological signs as if one can simply
"convert" from one to another. The humor is that I suspect my friend had
probably only read of the practice of talking astrology on a date in some
guide to American customs. Recognizing that it was a risky custom that
frequently and arbitrarily labels people as "unfavorably aspected" etc.
based on mere birthdays, I think she just wanted to politely dispense with
the custom in a favorable way. The irony is that she did not yet know that
I was about the last guy in the world with whom she needed to talk about
astrology.
So for those who demand hard evidence, I was referred to my favorite
memetics 'lab' on the web. There, I took the Emotion-Linked Ideo-Sorbent
Assay (ELISA) test. It indicates that I have recently "converted" to
"Aries." I believe that supports my theory of astrology as a sexually
transmitted belief. ;-)
--Aaron Lynch
http://www.mcs.net/~aaron/thoughtcontagion.html
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