Consider the question: “Where did that viral video come from—why that video and not another video?”—That’s the colloquial use of meme, but it’s not a very useful question because the answer often “Random chance at the intersection of timing and relevance.”
Consider the different question “When did it become unacceptable for males to have intimate friendships with other men?” Looking at the source of that, including with other ideas supported its creation and continuance—is essentially the only useful aspect of analysis of memes.
Consider the different question “When did it become unacceptable for males to have intimate friendships with other men?” Looking at the source of that, including with other ideas supported its creation and continuance—is essentially the only useful aspect of analysis of memes.
As it stands, this looks like an impoverished view of evolutionary change. Do you think the same thing about genes? What about things like their destruction and recombination? How about how microevolution leads to macroevolution? What about kin selection and group selection? I could go on...
Consider the question: “Where did that viral video come from—why that video and not another video?”—That’s the colloquial use of meme, but it’s not a very useful question because the answer often “Random chance at the intersection of timing and relevance.”
Consider the different question “When did it become unacceptable for males to have intimate friendships with other men?” Looking at the source of that, including with other ideas supported its creation and continuance—is essentially the only useful aspect of analysis of memes.
As it stands, this looks like an impoverished view of evolutionary change. Do you think the same thing about genes? What about things like their destruction and recombination? How about how microevolution leads to macroevolution? What about kin selection and group selection? I could go on...