Re: MEMETICS: The Triumph of Reason

Michael Lorrey (retroman@tpk.net)
Mon, 20 Jan 1997 11:16:01 -0500


Roderick A. Carder-Russell wrote:
>
> On Sun, 19 Jan 1997, The Low Willow wrote:
>
>
> I haven't really been following the thread, but can a bad meme not
> also be described as one that doesn't propogate and spread well, despite
> the actually "correct" or "incorrectness" of the idea that it is?
> Christianity has spread far and wide, I don't subscribe to it, but is it
> not a "good" meme?
>

While Christianity's main meme of "do unto others as you would have done
to you" is a very good meme, and in this respect is very extropian.
However, due to its long history, and long standing institutional
status, it has picked up LOTS of bad memes along the way that have
diluted the "goodness" of the main meme, to the point of strangulation.
This is a natural occurence with successful memes. There is always
regression to the mean, when a meme's original creators pass on,
everyone else gets a free and equal chance to screw things up.

-- 
TANSTAAFL!!!

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