RE: What the hell is a false meme? (was: Re: virus: Destroying CoV)

Richard Brodie (RBrodie@brodietech.com)
Thu, 6 Feb 1997 14:37:24 -0800


Vicki wrote:

>If you prefer, we could say that some memes conform to observed
>reality more closely than others. However, while it may be useful in
>memetic terms to analyze how well the meme "the Earth is flat"
>persisted after the first proofs that the Earth is a sphere, it's
>useful for
>a lot of purposes to point out that "the Earth is flat" is a false
>statement.

Accurate from a Level-2 perspective. In Level-3 consciousness, we would
say that ALL memes are false in some contexts. There can be not truth or
falsity without context, or a set of base hypotheses. This is what
Whitehead meant when he said there are no whole truths, only
half-truths!

>Even in memetic terms, it's relevant that people will continue to host
>memes that contradict available evidence.

Absolutely. And in fact ALL mapping memes are simplifications and
therefore inaccurate to some degree. Even that statement I just made!

Richard Brodie RBrodie@brodietech.com +1.206.688.8600
CEO, Brodie Technology Group, Inc., Bellevue, WA, USA
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie
Do you know what a "meme" is?
http://www.brodietech.com/rbrodie/meme.htm
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