Re: virus: getting it
sodom (Sodom@ma.ultranet.com)
Thu, 11 Jun 1998 11:52:42 -0400
Well, I'd love to help you, but my understanding of the word is less than what I
would like it to be. I will try to convey in simple terms what I suspect thus
far. I tend to think of "meme" as most of the software that runs on the hardware
of your brain. I dont mean inherited processes, like eating or defecating, but
software that can travel from one host ot another, like a virus. We talk about
religion a lot here because it is such a large and powerful meme, but there are
so many others as to make it nearly impossible to determine exactly where
instinctive software ends and memes take over. suffice it to say that nearly all
of your advanced mental functioning is filtered through a sea of memes while
going through the hardware of brain.
Ill try to make a simple distinction: As an animal, we have basic survival
processes built in to help us live to reproduce. Imagine yourself standing at a
cave mouth 10,000 years ago. You have never had a problem with caves, and no has
ever told you to avoid them. Suddenly, from out of the darkness, a dangerous
animal comes barreling out of the cave straight at you. Jumping out of the way of
the oncoming beast is probably instinct, but understanding to stay away from dark
caves, is more than instinct. Now you know to stay away from cave mouths, cause
wild animals could come after you. This makes sense, but is not yet a meme, (I
think) Now you meet another hunter-gatherer, and you tell them about the cave
beasts. Now you have a meme, you have passed on a piece of information, which
propagated inside the mind of a secondary being. "Stay away from caves" becomes
more than the meaning of the words, it becomes almost a rule of the mind. From
now on, you may avoid caves without really thinking about it. It becomes a part
of your thought process.
Just a note: When people here talk about better and worse, good or bad, it
goes without saying, that most of us find these concepts very limiting but an
effective way to say I prefer, or do not prefer. I think it is safe to say, that
most of us think it is "better" to be rational, therby taking into account our
own meme complexes, and hopefully arriving at objective conclusions as de-memed
as possible. You will see many of us go off on people who begin to assert
absolutes or truths, or subjective moral conclusions as none of these can be
objectivly demonstrated. This is part of the "rational meme" for most of us, and
often is disapproved by short timers to this list who find cold rationality to be
too limiting. Our answer is almost always the same, show us some evidence, any
evidence, and we will evaluate it as objectivly as possible.
Sodom
Bill Roh
Sendgirl@aol.com wrote:
> Hi,
> I need a little help here. I have been a subscriber to this list for a couple
> of months now. I usually limit my replies to one-liners because frankly a lot
> of this is way above my head. I do enjoy reading the posts because all of the
> topics are interesting to me and I do feel I am learning. The basis of this
> group is the meme. I need to make sure I have it correct in the absolute
> plainest of English. Please, can someone give me the basest definition? Like
> you were explaining it to a child as opposed to a dictionary styled
> definition. I am sorry to be such a pain in the ass but without grasping that
> I can never go from a mere observer to a true participant. Thanks, Maureen