From: ROBBIE DAWSON (manates@charter.net)
Date: Thu Jun 06 2002 - 10:45:29 MDT
On Thu, 6 Jun 2002 07:20:27 -0400
"Technotranscendence" <neptune@mars.superlink.net>
wrote:
"Certain forms of society or behaviors spread merely
because they are good at spreading themselves culturally
without regard to the impact they have on the organisms
spreading them. This would include fashions and fads. (In
a sense there might be "improve[d] reproductive fitness,"
if individuals carrying the meme are more likely to mate
or help others with the same meme.)"
Granted that I haven't followed ANY prior relevant
discussion, and cannot write nearly as well as you, I hope
you will take a moment to answer my question, as follows.
DO YOU believe that memes can spread outside of human
interests?
If so, please explain. This seems definitively
contradictive. Let's take your examples, fashions and
fads. Fashion, by nature, is fad-driven, so let's focus on
the more general occurrence of fads. You comment that fads
might improve reproductive fitness, as if reproductive
fitness is marginally important to living. In truth,
genetic propagation supercedes all of life's "concerns,"
even to the exclusion of individual human interests. Memes
exist because of genes, and are, therefore, centrally
dependant upon them.
Fads also enhance individuality by increasing the
probability of gaining self-esteem, power, money, etc.
Like all memes, they are only contagious because they
promote collective and individual qualities of life.
~crawls back into cave~ ~Rd
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