RE: virus: Absolute Usefulness

Richard Brodie (RBrodie@brodietech.com)
Fri, 24 May 1996 15:07:29 -0700


>How else are we going to measure "usefulness"? If we are not going to
>measure it, we are going to follow some prophet. Can anybody see any
>other
>logical solution? I think this is an important question.

Follow yourself?
>
>Thank you, Jason. This is exactly what I meant. I see a more
>interesting
>question I have been trying to bring up: if genes evolve to be well
>suited
>to their environment, what is the direction memes evolve towards? Well
>suited to what?

Well suited to taking over the minds of their hosts. Us.
>
>Yes, that's what I said. Untruthful memes are not useful in the long
>run.
>Truthful memes are.

But see my section on self-fulfilling prophecy in "Getting Past OK".
>
>As I am trying to understand Richard so far, there are no "truthful"
>memes,
>only "useful" ones.

Not quite. I didn't say there were no truthful memes, just that it's
better to program yourself with useful ones. If you are so concerned
with truth, you should be memorizing telephone directories a la Rain
Man. =)

> The truth does not exist so we cannot measure
>"truthfulness".

I didn't say that. I said it's a waste of time.

> The only way to tell if a meme is useful is to wait for
>evolution to verify it --

No, the only way to tell if a meme is FIT is to wait for evolution to
verify it. You can at least guess at its usefulness by comparing its
results against your purpose.

> or to buy a copy of the "Virus of the Mind" where
>all the answers are ready for you (soon available in Polish...)

Can't argue here. =)
>
>OK. Let's make it a scientific goal to program ourselves with the most
>useful memes so we can lead a principled life.

Tad...that's what my books are about! =)

>Those who are not with us
>are against us and will be disinfected (not to worry, it's a painless
>process).

I don't believe any *people* are "against us," only memes.
>
>Richard Brodie RBrodie@brodietech.com +1.206.688.8600
>CEO, Brodie Technology Group, Inc., Bellevue, WA, USA
>http://members.gnn.com/rbrodie
>Do you know what a "meme" is? http://members.gnn.com/rbrodie/votm.htm
>
>
>