From: "Aaron Agassi" <agassi@erols.com>
To: <memetics@mmu.ac.uk>
Subject: Applied Memetics challenge
Date: Sat, 10 Jul 1999 19:34:36 -0400
My ordeal with ARISA made me realize one important choice of assumptions, by
which people can be typed:
All things being equal, vague innuendo based ostracism and persecution
without recourse or explanation can be interpreted in one of two ways:
Either as a legitimate social expedience. Quote: "They must have had a
reason." (Implicit that all such reasons are legitimate.) Conviction by
suspicion, suspicion by innuendo, innuendo by peer pressure, peer pressure
by sheer persistence and eager complicity. Mate protection may be evoked.
Motives are not questioned. Anti-competitive domination is never spoken of.
(Even honor killing of women, never mind revenge upon the males deemed to
have compromised them, still receives Orwelian rationalization by other
women, in some cultures.)
Or, the in the other view, such an event will be interpreted as a sign that
something being concealed in rank and blatant cowardice that is nasty and
not on the level at all. The injustice of scapegoating is quickly suspected.
Fairness doctrine applies. As does Reality Testing. And the place of women
is seen in a more civilized and dynamic context.
These are each diametrically competing Memetic complexes.
Each of these ways of thinking may have action memes and collaboration
memes. But the second ideology has been loosing it's teeth and cohesion. The
My challenge is to rally and rearm civilization from self serving Alpha
barbarians. To do Judo on the tactical advantages of being assholes.
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