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Topic: Successful approach to spread memes (Read 1090 times) |
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Ophis
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Successful approach to spread memes
« on: 2005-03-04 17:00:18 » |
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In the last 12 months, my position on two topics of relative controversy has been significantly influenced by an unexpected communication vehicule. A year ago, I was honestly skeptical and unsure about both topics; I hadn't "made up" my mind on what I thought about them. Even as I read articles on these topics, I wasn't totally convinced by either supporters and opponents, and I could easily appreciate the arguments of both.
Of course, I can still appreciate arguments, and I try to remain open to convincing, but after having been exposed to this specific form of partisan communication, I became much more sympathetic to the side that made good use of it.
The two issues I'm talking about are: 1) Cryonics/Immortality and 2) Global Warming
I was originally deeply skeptical of cryonics and of the possibility of overcoming aging. Now, although I realize that the chances of cryonics being an effective way to preserve an individual are slim, the possibility that science will be able to cure aging over the next century is too significant for me not to want to consider the options that may allow me to "survive" until then.
On global warming, I had been convinced by the mass-media that we were destroying our planet, that forests were disapearing, that the ice was melting, the temperature rising, etc. As I read various articles from different sources, I realized that the scientific evidence wasn't as clear as what the evening news shows seemed to suggest. Today, I find myself more convinced by the arguments that deny the existence of global warming.
What I was missing to make my own opinion on these topics was context. Not being an expert on either topic and not having (yet) an infinite amount of time to dedicate to the study of these subjects, I assimilated the information more or less passively, trying to see what stucked with my understanding of the universe and what didn't.
I now realize that there is a way to communicate facts (or propaganda) along with a context that facilitates the adoption of relatively complex factual data in a non-expert's world-view: The Novel.
Of course, we've all read many novels in our lives so there is nothing new about what I'm saying here. What's new (to me) is my realization of how novels can be very effective promotion tools. I have two novels in mind, which have influenced my views on the two topics mentioned above: The First Immortal, by James Halperin (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0345421825/churchofvirusA/) and State of Fear, by Michael Crichton (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0066214130/churchofvirusA).
I realize that these are works of fiction and that the universes described therein are different from reality. But still, both books provide numerous references to real data; both books incorporate the real information within their story lines; and most importantly they both provide a vehicle for the authors to explore different opinions on the topics and slowly educate and convince the reader on the points of view held by the author.
Different communication vehicles will have different impacts on different people. For me, these two novels had a proportionally high influence on my opinions when compared to single instances of other forms of communication (TV spot, journal column, published article, opinion editorial, etc).
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David Lucifer
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #1 on: 2005-03-07 15:52:08 » |
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You could look at the novel as the evolution of the socratic dialog. By writing a fictionalized debate the author has the opportunity to bring up and dismiss objections on his or her own terms. Seen in this light it isn't surprising that the reader would find the argument very persuasive.
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Ophis
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #2 on: 2005-03-07 16:14:33 » |
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Very insightful! now that you mention this, I remember another text that's had a significant influence on me: Bastiat's "What is Money?" (http://bastiat.org/en/what_is_money.html). It takes the form of a dialogue between an economist and a passer-by on the nature and implications of having a government-controlled monetary system.
In that text, Bastiat does exactly what you are saying: he takes the opportunity to bring up and dismiss all sorts of objections in ways that a favorable to his position.
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David Lucifer
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #3 on: 2005-03-08 10:05:16 » |
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Mermaid recently proposed the idea of collaborating on a novel to spread the memes of Virus. I would love to see that happen, but I think it will have to wait for a future time given that we have difficulty getting more than 3 members to read a book, let alone write one.
However a Socratic dialog may be a more tractable short term project. Would anyone else like to collaborate on one in the VirusWiki?
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Ophis
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #4 on: 2005-03-08 10:12:13 » |
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What messages would we want to convey? Sins & Virtues? Visions of a virian community/society?
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David Lucifer
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #5 on: 2005-03-08 10:18:29 » |
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We should probably start off with a key idea that sets Virus apart from the other religions, like why Dogmatism is considered a sin.
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Ophis
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #6 on: 2005-03-09 10:09:36 » |
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Maybe this can be the topic of next week's chat. Brainstorming ideas or exploring a particular idea for a socratic dialog that would help spread the Virian memes.
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David Lucifer
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #7 on: 2005-03-09 16:54:21 » |
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OK, we have a plan.
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Pabreetzio
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Re:Successful approach to spread memes
« Reply #8 on: 2005-05-11 01:21:21 » |
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I definately think collaborative writing is a good idea. I saw the first issue of the ideohazard, and im new so perhaps im just missing the link to the others, but what ever happened to that?
Anyways I definately think that more doctrine should be put out rather than the few dots of what we think are virtues and what we think are sin.
I actually think a pertinent doctrinal issue is to discuss what it is other religions actually get at, the good things about them, and what it is exactly that sets us apart. I have been recently convinced that what sets us apart is that instead of starting upon the assumption that there is a God and that he must tell us what is to be true and what is not to be true this church starts off with specific observations and concludes based on all of those observations what is true according to what fits all the observations: scientific method. general from specific rather than specific from general.
However I do not think the church should only use this method, at least not in dealing in fiat issues. If in fiat issues we were to take in the specifics of the situation we should consider mematic success above what might otherwise be best in the situation. What someone should do if they are a virtuous memeber of the church should be set aside for later discussion. There is a time when specific should come from general, but only after the church has agreed on its reasons for the general from specific.
The Novel or story form is the best way to come to our general conclusions. Storys of specific people and how their situations end up let us evalute what gives the best result for that person. we engineer memes that propigate the behavior that gives the best specific result. the meme is the general observation that then gives people specific guidence in what to do.
I feel that the interaction between science and religion as described above is the best possible interaction leading to not only successful memes but also successful people and groups of people as a whole: specifically the people of this church who prescribe to the memes created by the church and used in the described manner.
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