This idea that viral ideas are like cultural software running in society that result in real-world results (like cathedrals and other infrastructure) is a brilliant observation and I would suggest it applies similarly to other perhaps less viral ideas that grow into institutions, governments, and other social constructs. I'm not a sociologist or anthropologist but I would like to hear one of either provide input on this topic.
Are you saying a meme can result in real-world creations cathedrals and other infrastructure? I think I see what you're getting at in that they are related as far as cultural virality goes. However my understanding of a meme is a flash-in-the-pan viral idea that gets '15 minutes of internet fame' and then people forget about it.
“A philosopher...is a sort of intellectual yokel who gapes and stares
at what sensible people take for granted.” – Alan Watts
I'm not a philosopher, but I find myself gaping and staring at common things like money and colors, astounded that they seem so concrete yet only exist as a figment of our collective imagination.
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[ 0.19 ms ] story [ 23.3 ms ] threadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiral_Dynamics