What types of memetic infection would cause the equivalent of immuno-
deficiency syndrome? Perhaps ideas like:
- If lots of people believe it, it must be true.
- If its been around for ages (tradition) there must be something to it.
- X makes my life (worth living, more interesting, etc.) so it must be valid.
- If I can't imagine it, it must not be true.
- Anecdotal evidence is good evidence.
- We don't currently understand it so it must be mystical or beyond comprehension.
- Mystery is good.
- It is a virtue to believe something without evidence.
- Everything is (relative, contextual, subjective) therefore nothing is
intrinsically better than anything else.
- I create reality (solipsism).
These are just a few ideas off the top of my head (definitely open to
criticism). Any others?
-- David McFadzean david@lucifer.com Memetic Engineer http://www.lucifer.com/~david/ Church of Virus http://www.lucifer.com/virus/