Fw: Re: Proverbs

[Justin McBride]

> In effect, proverbs and sayings and admonistions can be thought of as
> self-perpetuating texts that survive in the environment of human memory,
> propagated when some one trots one out, and someone else immediately
> comits it to memory.  Like other parasites, some are coincidentally
> useful, some are not.  I suppose some, uncritically applied, might
> actually be dangerous, though I haven't any particular candidates in mind.
> ("Have another for the road!"?)  Having enough of the right kind
> inhabiting your mental processes might be a survival trait, just like
> having the right bacteria in your gut or mitochondria in all your cells.
> I hope to God this isn't the only real function of intelligence!  Aiee!
>

    Correct me if  I'm wrong, but isn't the study of the diffusion and
workings of such little "memory bugs" and general conecpts like them called
'memetics?'  It seems I recall reading about this field a few years back,
but I can't remember where.  I believe it operates on a linguistic analogy
principle, with its smallest units as 'memes' (compare to phon-emes,
morph-emes, sem-emes, etc.).  It's really fascinating stuff.  And then just
last week, I was reading that Michael Closs book Native American
Mathematics.  In it, there is a whole section on the diffusion of the
concept of ZERO throughout the world, with specific consideration on
Meso-American civilizations.  It reminded me of the memetics thing all over
again.  And now today, it rears its cryptic head once more.  Talk of the
diffusion of ideas!
    Does anyone know anything about this?  I'd like to check out more
information about it.  Please excuse me if this field of study may in fact
fall into the realm of common knowledge stuff, and I'm just too far behind
the times to know.  And for all I know, it's just the second coming of
phrenology, theosophy, or some other pseudo-science drivel. I am still
interested in it, whatever it may be!  I know it's not particulary relevent
to the technical study of Siouan languages, but it may be germaine to the
recent proverb thread.

-jm