distance

A Memetics Manifesto

listening does not imply interpreting

passively absorbing reinforces beliefs

judgement is a function of cultural distance

proximity tends to be more pleasant than distance because it presupposes an easier interpretation

proximity expresses similarity, while remoteness expresses dissonance (think echoes)

because of the alteration that increases in proportion to the distance

culture conveys knowledge and its method of interpretation

knowledge ignores truth or falsity

the method of interpretation determines the degree of truthfulness

cultures that have the prerogative to damage other cultures and reproduce themselves will become predominant

culture is an individual fact, and each element absorbs and radiates culture to the same extent

in the void that fills the distance between various elements, various cultural carriers coexist

the temporary coalescence of certain cultural carriers produces super cultures that force the power of normal radiation

cultural colonisation cancels outdistances, creating a more pleasant environment since the degree of pleasantness is inversely proportional to cultural distance

head-on collisions of cultures produce scattering, cohesion or domination/subjugation

since identity is unique, the related culture remains an individual fact so that, even in an amalgamated environment, differences coexist, which grow with increasing distance/time and cause new potential conflicts

conflicts can only be avoided by contagions, which lead to cultural addiction, dependency, annihilation

jumping into the void, abandoning the cultural carriers, is a courageous act of provocation, which frees the individual from the state of osmotic cultural assimilation

liberation entails a deviation from the main path, which is disliked by those who fear diversity because it is difficult, if not impossible, to interpret, therefore unknown, therefore frightening

every dominant culture is such insofar as it has within it mechanisms of self-protection aimed at annihilating any discordant threat

these methods of self-protection may fail because of the coexistence of other cultural carriers determining a temporal coalition corresponding to the dominant super culture, which aims to colonise, to cancel outdistances by creating a favourable space

the more components there are, the less defined the identity is

the growth of the cultural components of the dominant super culture paradoxically determines the growth of its weakness

as in all things, there is a cycle of modest beginnings, major growth with evident domination, and exaggerated expansion to the point of making the multitude of individualities comprising the superstructure unmanageable

so the whole is reduced to unity and explodes into individual micro-particles, regenerating the cycle all over again

nothing is created, nothing is destroyed, and everything is transformed

whether it’s contagion or a conflict, the cycle will repeat itself endlessly