In a message dated 3/5/99 11:14:49 AM Central Standard Time, richard@brodietech.com writes:
<< Jake,
You are making a classic mistake in evolutionary psychology theory. Minds have evolved not to host TRUE memes, but to host memes that make them (1) better propagators of those memes and (2) successful reproducers of their genes in the Paleolithic era. >>
Richard,
I didn't say otherwise. It has been, and it still is this way. But I don't see that it necessarily WILL be this way forever. And furthermore, truth IS and always HAS BEEN at least one factor that has determined whether a meme will propagate. I am not suggesting that it is the only factor, but I sense some eagerness on your part to write it off. Truth is important to everybody at least to some extent. Interesting lies can make us forget that sometimes.
>>therefore the fact that we are more literate
and have more accurate scientific knowledge does not imply that irrational
or contrafactual memeplexes will die out.<<
No, but it does mean that they are and will be facing greater competition than they did in the past.
-Jake