Thread:User talk:WaitingforGodot/Crank linguistics/reply (14)

I mean, ok, as a way to study how ideas change over time, and how they "catch fire" if they catch fire, and why, it's an interesting concept. But I don't' feel as if it answered any questions, or really asked any questions that are worth answering. it just turned the concept of "idea" into the word "meme" which didn't really seem necessary. So we now talk of "meme" when "idea" would be perfectly fine - as if that were somehow a better word for the concept we are trying to get across.

I am curious why people gravitate to some things and not others, but I don't think the right questions are being asked there, cause i suspect it has a lot more to do with psychological things like "need for approval", "fear of/respect of authority", excitement (manipulable, of course).

that said, mostly i just think it's funny how it's captured it's own "meme" as it were, adn everyone runs around using the term, if not the idea behind it. "looking a new meme".