[Buddha-l] Memes amd me

[curt]

The word "meme" is itself actually one of the best and most illustrative 
examples of the phenomenon of "memes". Other examples:

"Separate but equal"
"The Dark Ages"
"Iraq's weapons of mass destruction"
"Western Civilization"
"Welfare State"
"Weapons of mass destruction"
"War on terrorism"
"Terrorism"

Here's one I wish we could bring back: "peace dividend".

"Memes" are also the building blocks out of which "meta-narratives" are 
constructed.

The bottom line is that the word "meme" can almost always be replaced by 
"idea" or "notion" as Michel already pointed out. It is usually, but not 
necessarily, used with a derogatory connotation - the implication being 
that memes are a kind of infectious agent of the mental world, and that 
people who "believe in" a given meme have not really thought about it, 
rather it's just something they "picked up", like a cold. And also like 
a cold, once you "believe in" a meme you become a potential source for 
infecting others.

- Curt

Jim Peavler wrote:
> I don't know for sure what curt meant, but biologically a meme is some 
> characteristic or attribute of a species or culture that is passed 
> from one generation to another without a genetic base: i.e., it is 
> passed on by imitation or teaching or custom and has no genetic base.
>
> Or so I was told.
>
>
>