RE: virus: The One or the Many?

Brett Lane Robertson (unameit@tctc.com)
Sat, 18 Oct 1997 16:47:39 -0500


At 04:43 PM 10/18/97 -0400, you wrote:
>>I
>>say that the word "autonomous" is inseperable from the word "meme". Memetic
>>behavior is autonomous: The meme has taken over conscious control of
>>behavior...behavior becomes patterned in this way and survival of the
>>pattern is dependent on continuence of the behavior.
>
>Interesting. I would say exactly the opposite, that habitual behavior is
>indeed semi-autonomous, but that it has abandoned its meme. We can train
>dogs....

Wade T. Smith

I thought you were approaching the memetic issue from a different angle than
I. I see memes as the most simplified form of a behavior pattern. I am
assuming that you see memes as the most complicated form of an individual
behavior. And by using the latter, are you saying that behavior is at the
root of all phenomenon? For, I would say that patterns are at the root of
all behavior. Going further, I would see these
differences--perhaps--showing up in the core concept of "meme". If you see
a meme as a shorthand notation which describes behavior: I see the behavior
as long-hand notation which describes the memetic processes. I would
probably say that only basic needs are served by memetics...standards,
control, specialization, self: Would you say that these are consciously
willed and only the most abstract processes are memetically determined?

So, I've gone round-and-around trying to find some idea I can connect with
which would explain your statement above (about dogs...). Still cannot see
where you are coming from. Can you, perhaps, explain your statement more?

Brett

Returning,
rBERTS%n
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