Re: virus: Angelica de Meme

Tony Hindle (t.hindle@joney.demon.co.uk)
Thu, 3 Apr 1997 08:32:04 +0100


In message <33427BDD@smtpgw.ccc.phelpsd.com>, "Wright, James 7929"
<Jwright@phelpsd.com> writes
>
>Tony Hindle wrote:
>> As I understand it ideas have power whether they are true or
>false, <
>Agreed.
>>wider awareness of the nature of this "truth-independent"
>spreading process will reduce it and therefore increase the relative
>proportion of "truth-dependent" memes that spread.<
>Debatable. David R. considers objectivism to be a desirable meme-complex;
This is one of my current personal mysteries James. Dont most of
us on this list want objective reality to find it's way into the
subjective models of as many people as possible (me included, it's just
my own personal subjective reality I want to experiment with).
As I model all this, I see memetics as a tool that once
incorporated into one's mental tool kit, can be used to reduce the
sensitivity of our innate buttons. Allowing us more personal choice in
what we are thinking about.

>> People will move to being more infected with the truth or self designed
>dilusions. The net effect will be a better world.<
>People are already infected with self-designed delusions; this is the
>state of the majority of the population, according to many viewpoints
>(psychology, Buddhism and probably even Objectivism; David, any comment?)
I see it subtely differently at the mo. People are mainly
infected with delusions designed by others. I know I have many (even
though I have been trying to identify and eject the one's I dont want
for many years now.)

>I would contend that the wider awareness of memetics will improve the
>opportunity for people to be aware how others try to manipulate them
>through crafting memes that take advantage of useful propagation traits;
>whether they use this information to their own advantage must of
>necessity be a personal experience.

I believe we are in complete agreement on this point.
Do you possess any arguments (that you hold in esteem) against why
memetics should not be more widely spread?

Tony Hindle.