Re: virus: Re: Sling Blade

Lee Daniel Crocker (lcrocker@calweb.com)
Mon, 7 Apr 1997 15:49:10 -0700 (PDT)

> You seem to place a lot of stock in memes retaining their fidelity. Why?
> The point is that since memes have arrived on the scene we have become
> like rocks with memetic moss growing on us, like apple trees being
> farmed and picked by memetic hands. When you say "at our expense," who
> is the OUR you are referring to? Memes infect us, drive our behavior,
> and cause us to spread them. Every time you use the word "the," you are
> benefiting the "the" meme. Do you think "the" cares for our happiness?
> Richard Brodie RBrodie@brodietech.com +1.206.688.8600

I realize that "I" may be an emergent property of the memes I carry,
but whether I am or not, whatever "I" am has chosen goals, such as to
continue the physical existence of this particular meme-carrier, until
"I" choose different goals. Some memes I have--or am--may not serve
that goal, just as some of my genes or cells might not serve that
goal, even though they may have conspired to create it. They might be
analagous to Dawkin's "outlaw" genes such as segmentation distorters
that flourish even though they lead inevitably to extinction.

I have a fondness for high-fidelity memes because of my goal of
continuation. I want to know which of them will be around with me
in the millenia ahead, and which are likely to serve my present
goal of surviving to get there.

-- 
Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com>  <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html>
"All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past,
are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified
for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC