There have been quite a few experiences lately that have had an impact on me and how I think about words and their effects. Because I'm a friggin' nerd and a learnaholic, I've been reading up on philosophy on Wikipedia.org, specifically memes and memetics. For those of you who aren't absolute geeks, memetics is the study of words and ideas as if they were genes (see here). Well, that's a powerful concept, especially when you get into it.

Basically, the words we say are reflective of our ideas, perspective, and mental state. There are both rational and emotional underpinnings to them that we may or may not have inherited from an outside source and that we have the potential to transmit to others by simply employing. Huh? Would you like an example?

Fuck.

What's attached to that word... or any expletive for that matter? What isn't attached would be an easier question. Stick up your middle finger. Feel that? That's that meme thingy popping up. It's more than a word or an action or a simple idea, it's all of the above, and it gets transmitted every time we flip someone off or cuss them out or... Well, you should get the idea by now.

Example 2: MySpace.com - Who the hell heard of MySpace.com from a banner ad? Who received an unsolicited email from Tom inviting you to MySpace.com? Did a little man from the MySpace.com organization show up on your doorstep one day to sign you up? The entire popularity of this network relies upon the meme associated with MySpace.com, and Major Tom and the boys know it... Probably hate it, too, some days.

Google did it. Starbucks did it. Walmart did it. Coca-Cola did it. Kleenex did it. These companies and products all made their names synonymous with all products of their type, whether through clever marketing or sheer excellence in their respective field. We don't even think twice about asking for a kleenex or band-aid rather than a tissue or bandage.

Now, naturally, some people are more resistant to memetic infection or transmission. There are just those contrary souls who refuse to have a product name imprinted upon their speech simply because someone shelled out a bunch of money to make it so. It's no different from a breeder selecting traits to breed into or out of his stock. If breeding equals genetic engineering, more or less, marketing is memetic engineering, to a certain extent.

Well, naturally, if we transmit these memes via communication, and the primary means of communication for most people upon this planet is spoken word, then talking with someone is like unto having sex with their brain. Except that the gestation period on new memes varies by subject. Actually holding a conversation with someone - which differs from just chatting, as above - is even more involved, like unto exchanging and recombining DNA on the fly... Assuming you're both actually listening.

So, this relates, then, to a story I heard - a meme I picked up - about the use of words: A new rabbi comes to the temple and isn't instantly well-liked. He's too young, hasn't studied enough, had trouble as a child, isn't from around here, all of this is said. His strongest opponent, however, who spread or started most of these rumors finally gets to know the man, and his opinion is instantly changed. Days later, the man comes to the rabbi and confesses to him.

"Rabbi," he says, "I'm very sorry. Before that I knew you as I do now, I said some terrible things about you, I'm afraid. I spread rumors and complained about you behind your back. Now I know you to be a good and wise man, and I am truly sorry. What can I do to repent?"

"My son," the rabbi replied, "I want you to go take your best feather pillow, your favorite, cut it open, and hold it up to the wind upon a high hill. Then return to me."

So the man did as he was told and returned again to the rabbi, saying, "Rabbi, I've done as you've asked. What more must I do?"

"You've done well," the rabbi told him. "The feathers from your pillow have been scattered to the wind. Now, you must go and retrieve every one and put back together your pillow."

"Rabbi," the man said incredulously, "You know that is impossible."

"Yes," the wise rabbi replied. "So, too, is it with your harsh words about me once spoken. Mind what you will say, for once let to the winds, your words cannot be recalled."

The moral of the story: Be careful whose brains you impregnate. Or have sex with, for that matter. You sick bastard.