Re: virus: Level 3

Dave Pape (davepape@dial.pipex.com)
Wed, 26 Feb 1997 23:16:27 GMT


At 20:51 24/02/97 -0800, Tim wrote:

>> I flick between memetic structures during my day at work. Is this Level 3?
>
>I don't know. Do you think to yourself, "In this situation I'll play the
>rogue and argue for the value of irrationality, but in the next moment the
>guise of the scholar will best make my point. I'll wear either mask as I
>see fit for I am aware that this is a puppet show and the best any of us
>can hope to do is butt up against anothers mask."?

I believe I do, yes, and I reckon a lot of people do an equivalent of the
first half of your description quite frequently. I definitely make decisions
about whether to use jokey examples/explanations/metaphors or whether to be
all serious and try and quote my sources etc...

I've just been writing a sitcom script with my friend Rich in London and we
were flexing our memespaces all the time, man. I'd suggest that doing so is
actually a big part in predicting what other human beings are going to do in
all social situations... thinking like them to decide how they'll react to
what you do... hey, what if "flexing memespace on the fly" actually predates
language as a human skill? He he he he he!

>(Remember, I still haven't read Brodie's book, I may be way off the mark.
>Richard, you are very popular here in town. Its been two weeks and I'm
>still only 32nt in line for the 13 copies of "Virus of the Mind" floating
>around in the Seattle Public Library system!)

Is there anyone here who ISN'T from Seattle? Anyone who doesn't run a
self-help group? Damn.

Dave Pape
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