2 ms·

The proliferation and propagation of memes is probably some kind of mechanism of societal information processing and storage, which is of course maladapted to a

The proliferation and propagation of memes is probably some kind of mechanism of societal information processing and storage, which is of course maladapted to a hyperconnected world. Mechanisms that were developed and optimised over thousands of years for double or low triple digit groups of humans do not scale well in 4-5 orders of magnitude increases. Completely out of my ass, I would imagine that mass psychogenic illnesses could be an unfortunate application of these mechanisms that has additional effects and has gone out of hand, so it would make sense that these effects are also greatly exacerbated by a hyperconnected world.

MrMcCall 2y ago
Yes, indeed, I am in complete agreement, but what is being amplified depends on the culture's norms. That is why negative subcultures suffer the worst when they are sequestered from more sensible folks, not that wisefolk are thick on the ground. That said, those leading this technocracy are not the folks like Bezos' ex-wife who is doing so much good in the world with her wealth, in counterbalance to the horrors her ex-husband's companies are spraying everywhere. As with all things human, we can choose to point our moral compass in any direction, for good or ill, for greater compassion or greater indifference. Taking an apathetic culture and then feeding them vapid, ungenerous, sensual, fakeass drivel is just what chimps would choose if they had the remote. We must rise above our mammalian natures and embrace humanitarianism as our aspirational ethos, instead of techbros and popstars with their trappings of wealth and pleasure in their IG stories. We must develop a love of truth, and focus our energies upon the salve that is compassion, individually and collectively. "And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually." --Jimi Hendrix
hindsightbias 2y ago
Perhaps an extension to the Gaia hypothesis is that the system is all out of whack and these are emergent hallucinations.

MrMcCall 2y ago

Yes, indeed, I am in complete agreement, but what is being amplified depends on the culture's norms. That is why negative subcultures suffer the worst when they are sequestered from more sensible folks, not that wisefolk are thick on the ground. That said, those leading this technocracy are not the folks like Bezos' ex-wife who is doing so much good in the world with her wealth, in counterbalance to the horrors her ex-husband's companies are spraying everywhere. As with all things human, we can choose to point our moral compass in any direction, for good or ill, for greater compassion or greater indifference. Taking an apathetic culture and then feeding them vapid, ungenerous, sensual, fakeass drivel is just what chimps would choose if they had the remote. We must rise above our mammalian natures and embrace humanitarianism as our aspirational ethos, instead of techbros and popstars with their trappings of wealth and pleasure in their IG stories. We must develop a love of truth, and focus our energies upon the salve that is compassion, individually and collectively. "And so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually." --Jimi Hendrix

hindsightbias 2y ago

Perhaps an extension to the Gaia hypothesis is that the system is all out of whack and these are emergent hallucinations.