Memes

I want to make a list of memes that influence us and shape society, past, present and future. I have mine. Gaia is one; evolution is another; sustainablity and Spaceship Earth are two more; as are social darwinism, and a new one I just came across: Christianism. I know of 100s that I plan to consider in detail some day.

The power of a meme comes not from general agreement with its message. I do not subscribe to social darwinism. However, the meme forces me to think about society and culture in ways that I would not have perceived if I had never known the term.

But what memes are important or controversial or anathema to you? Send in your list, comments, or links to your ideas on the subject.

From high school history I know that our beliefs in and about democracy grew out of the Magna Carta, and are shaped by the expressions in The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States. In fact, when I think of our nation, the promises of The Declaration of Independence seem as binding as any law or the Constitution could ever be.

What memes do you believe shape American culture today? No, this is not a school assignment. But ideas influence us all. Which ones are important to you?

Tags: memes, lists