virus: Competing Meme Complexes

Howard Rothenburg (hrothenb@bcpl.net)
Fri, 12 Jun 1998 20:02:56 -0400 (EDT)


Do related meme's reinforce each other to create meme complexes? Does the
existence of a prior meme complex allow infection by related meme's but
inoculate against competing meme complexes (does a host's meme history
matter)?

If I get the meme "go with the flow" or "enjoy the ride" will it open me
up to infection by other memes about taking a more passive or reflective
stance? Will I be more likely to take a more detached, easy going approach,
until it forms a "way of life", supported by many related meme's in the
resulting meme complex?

If I have that "go with the flow meme" and especially if I am on my way to
hosting a large colony of related meme-complexes, is it almost impossible
for me to be infected by a competing, unrelated meme complex, like pro
individual, discipline, planning, and structure memes, such as "seize the
day", "if you don't know where you are going, you'll never get there", or
"you can make a difference"?

It seems that groups would form around people who held compatible
meme-complexes. This would cause both cohesion within the group and
friction between groups. Groups would also be less likely to be able to
understand each other or to take each other's memes seriously.

How would we overcome these problems, while we are being overrun by
related, colonizing memes?

If one type of meme-complex can inhibit unrelated meme-complexes, as I
believe, then the prediction on this list, that different religions
will soon fade away, leaving a more rational or pseudo-science outlook, is
unlikely. The religious meme-complex seems quite strong. It is more
than strong enough to inoculate against the competing meme complex that
supports the scientific method.