Memes and self definition
The usage of the word 'meme' on the internet has dumbed down the concept to mean, this trippy catchphrase or writing prompt that's going around LJ or FB. Memes are far more, and far more complex, than that.
I studied memetics for a while, because of my particular interest in how memes can be used to influence public thought, opinion, and policy, often in a propagandistic manner. I'm having a discussion on that topic elselist, and by way of refreshing my memory about things meme-ish, I came across the following. Which is apropos to some personal growth issues I'm working through right now, and therefore, am sharing here.
http://www.memecentral.com/Level3.htm
Richard Brodie is the man who developed Microsoft Word. Got rich relatively young, should have had everything in life, but found he was still unhappy. So he went on a quest to find out why and fix that. This led to his book "Getting Past OK" (which I highly recommend), and also his interesting thoughts about memes (see his work "Virus of the Mind") and living in an intentionally different, "self-programmed" modality (which this essay speaks to).
What particularly struck me in this essay was this:
"A purpose has to do with other people. A purpose is fulfilled by spreading memes. Every time we speak, write, create, or act we are spreading memes. To fulfill our purpose we must be conscious of which memes we are spreading." (emphasis added)
Hm. Food for thought.
I studied memetics for a while, because of my particular interest in how memes can be used to influence public thought, opinion, and policy, often in a propagandistic manner. I'm having a discussion on that topic elselist, and by way of refreshing my memory about things meme-ish, I came across the following. Which is apropos to some personal growth issues I'm working through right now, and therefore, am sharing here.
http://www.memecentral.com/Level3.htm
Richard Brodie is the man who developed Microsoft Word. Got rich relatively young, should have had everything in life, but found he was still unhappy. So he went on a quest to find out why and fix that. This led to his book "Getting Past OK" (which I highly recommend), and also his interesting thoughts about memes (see his work "Virus of the Mind") and living in an intentionally different, "self-programmed" modality (which this essay speaks to).
What particularly struck me in this essay was this:
"A purpose has to do with other people. A purpose is fulfilled by spreading memes. Every time we speak, write, create, or act we are spreading memes. To fulfill our purpose we must be conscious of which memes we are spreading." (emphasis added)
Hm. Food for thought.