Nope, I agree with you. I (and in this I am attempting to define
something which may some day actually be identified) see memes as the
last mental stage before a conscious, physical, behavioral action. As
such, I remove memes from habitual and/or autonomous behaviors (although
I do not remove them from any part in setting up such habits). I place
memes entirely in the host brain, and view cultural artifacts as memetic
stimuli.
And I have not come by such ideas in a vacuum. I don't even think they
are heretical, if such heresy can be said to be come by within such a
fledgling endeavor.
However, 'most complicated' is perhaps a dangerous phrase? And 'most
simplified' is just as bad....
A meme (probably a bunch of 'em) is required to raise one's arm in a
crowd and chant 'sieg heil'. A meme (a bunch) is also required not to, in
the same crowd. But no meme is required to pull one's hand away from a
fire, although a learning pattern is. (Fire is hot, ouch.)
And this is the way we train dogs. Food is good, yum, jump through hoop,
more food.
That there is a cultural analog (religion/happiness/properbodyodor?) to
dog training is memetics, AFAIK.
*****************
Wade T. Smith
morbius@channel1.com | "There ain't nothin' you
wade_smith@harvard.edu | shouldn't do to a god."
morbius@cyberwarped.com |
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