Society Killed the Teenager

            "Has the god meme, say, become associated with any other particular memes, and does this association assist the survival of each of of the participating memes? Perhaps we could regard an organized church,  with it architecture, rituals, laws, music, art, and written tradition, as a co-adapted stable set of mutually -assisting memes."  (pg. 197)

              G-d hasn't necessarily made the human corrupt, but religion has. Has religion shaped our society, our values and our culture, even though we don't practice it anymore? Faith has been with humanity since the beginning, and our mentality has proceeded to G-ds "word" even if we don't acknowledge it. Today good deeds, especially unselfish deeds are known to be an individuals obligation in a community. This idea reminds me of the movie "Pass it Forward," and how principles are not only passed on by teaching, but are "contagious" if practiced at a close distance. Religious memes don't only alter our personality, but our life style as well.

            Since we were toddlers, we were convinced that the only way to feel accomplished is to follow the life cycle that humanity had drawn out for us. It hasen't occurred to us that we might not need to conform part of the conventional family unit, capitalist economy or customs. Nevertheless, we have been doomed to live up to these standards with the fear of going hungry, dying alone or becoming no one.

            Education is another meme that although, may be interpreted differently among distinct minds, the result is in fact identical. People are born with common sense, well that can be considered an attribute of selfishness. However, under curriculum standards, society has defined intelligence with mathematical skills, memory capacity and so on. "The differences in the ways that people represent the theory are then, by definition, not part of a meme." Is intelligence a meme if there is a global definition for it? Isn't success a meme as well? One, as an individual might live upon one's definitions, however when living in a world of 7 billion people, there is only one definition and one opinion.

           Happiness: a state of mind where one is content of oneself. In other words, this happiness can only be achieved if memes do no longer exist. To live up to society's rules, impedes oneself of becoming oneself. It means becoming partially selfish and respect society's laws, but live pass them. This also reminds me of the great saying of today: SOCIETY KILLED THE TEENAGER. For teenagers are people who have resisted to memes, but humanity rises, defeats and clones.


Key Terms:

1.) Cultural mutations: To reposition cultural characteristics. 

2.) Psychological appeal: Interest of the brain. 

3.) Imitation: The process in which memes replicate. 

4.) Idea-meme: "An entity that is capable of being transmitted from one brain to another."

5.) Meme: The "cloner" of the human culture.