What are memes and where do they come from?

If you are an active Internet user, then for sure not just once or twice encountered on the expanses of the network with the fashionable word "meme". However, anyone who ask, no one can explain plainly to whom this term belongs and what it generally means. So, what are memes? Let's try to figure this out together.

History of memes

Few people know that the author of this term is the Oxford professor of biology Richard Dawkins. It was he who informed the mankind about the existence of the so-called meme viruses. As an answer to the question "What is memes?" The scientist explained that at an early stage of evolution a person could survive only if he had the strength and endurance. Gradually these qualities were perfected and fixed in the genes, however, as the civilization progressed, the physical data receded into the background. Now the first place was occupied by human intellect. Accordingly, according to Dawkins, there should have been something that would be responsible for the development of mental abilities. It was this "something" scientist and dubbed meme.

What are memes?

If you are asked this question, start your story by using the term "mimesis" as the basis for the term, which translates as "imitation." In fact, the meme is a kind of mental virus, which is confirmed by the ways it is spread. Mem "goes to the people" through artistic texts, films, anecdotes, advertising slogans, songs, comics etc.

In order to understand what memes are, it is necessary to understand the main function of memes - it is precisely in distribution. Do not forget that in the process of transmission, memes can be transformed. We can say that they participate in a kind of natural selection: the most viable memes instantly become popular and exist in the minds of people for a very long time, and the weak ones are quickly forgotten.

Spread

How does the above natural selection occur ? All mammas are pure information, which theoretically can interest a person or an entire social group. The more participants will be included in this group, the stronger and more active the meme will be. An example is religion: an idea captures the imagination of a group of people. From now on, their main task is to translate this idea into the broad masses, and the more they discuss it, the more powerful the meme becomes. Think: this description is exactly the same as the spread of the idea of God. No one knows exactly how it originated, but there is no doubt that for certain social groups the idea of God seems very attractive. It gives answers to seemingly insoluble questions and allows one to justify one's own existence. In addition, most of the currently existing religions are based on the idea that after the death of a person there will be a reward in the form of eternal bliss. It is not surprising, therefore, that this meme is so widely spread and capable of influencing the consciousness of the masses.