virus: Virus: Memetic Imunity. WAS 'Meaning of Life' Memes

Ken McE (Kenmce@catskill.net)
Mon, 08 Sep 1997 11:19:36 -0500


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Ken McE wrote:

> The notions of meaninglessness and pointlessness may be built in
>biological defenses, like the ability to vomit when you eat something
>poisonous. Humans and memetic ability have beeen co evolving long
>enough for us to have some basic resistance to undigestible memes.

David R replied: "D.H.Rosdeitcher" <76473.3041@compuserve.com>

Biological defenses against what? Is a sense of meaning poisonous?

Ken McE comments:

I do believe that new memes can be actively harmful to their carriers.
However simply refusing all that is new can put you at a disadvantage.
Reasonable responces to this quandry might include caution with
accepting new memes, and an ability to later reject them after testing.

A person who rejected almost all memes would seem autisic, one who
rejected none would seem gullible or foolish. Somewhere inbetween seems
to be the optimum.

We do have in English the phrases "to poison a relationship" or to
"poison them against you" meaninging that you inject ideas or
perceptions into one or more of the participants with the objective of
damaging a relationship.

If Memes have power, then yes, they can be "poisonous" in the sense of
causing harm or damage if taken internally

Regards, Ken McE
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