Memes Rule!

Today I was struck with with a certain knowledge that memes have been a major evolutionary force, evolving our genes to better suit their purposes.

Why would our brains be designed so that they latch on to ideas so firmly that they will defend those ideas to the death? Especially when religion gets involved we will argue, and not listen, and even fight a war to defend our ideas, our faith, our way of life.

The main reason I can think of is that memes have been the ruling evolutionary force ever since we first developed the ability to socialize. People who had the ability to handle better memes were more likely to survive. As memes thrived, they shaped things like our big brain and our ability to speak. Now that we have big brains, we are excellent hosts to memes. We are their platform, an arena in which memes can compete.

A meme is just an idea. It can come and go easily. An existing meme could easily be flushed away as soon as another idea comes along. Being thrown out of your battle vehicle at the first bump just won't do, so a seat belt is needed.

It would make sense for memes to evolve us so that our brains hang on to them tenaciously. Then they have a fighting chance. It makes us a much more useful platform.

I am certain of it.