Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to "though if I'm correct that it's a peculiarly human failing"- BUT WHAT IF IT ISN'T.....?

Attack of the killer meme.
ER — (archived)

The idea of a killer meme from earth is not as preposterous as it sounds at first listen. We all know the difference between the truth and lies, and we all know that it is possible to believe in lies as if they were truth. We even admit it is possible to be honestly mistaken and believe a lie is the truth; as long as we are not aware of it there is no dishonor in it. I'm sure alien civilizations would be able to grasp this concept, if not already familiar with it.

But the idea of truth as a commodity, something to be manufactured and propagated to promote a specific activity or product or ideology may be a totally human invention. In our society, to work in advertising, marketing a product, is a perfectly honorable profession, with its own ethics and codes and regulation. Yet, this system allows you to switch jobs and got to work for your competition without skipping a heartbeat, without moral sanction, even from your former employers. I quit GM and go work for Ford, using the same techniques to sell cars. Lawyers do this, so do mercenaries, but in other societies, this might be interpreted as treachery and lack of loyalty. Even soldiers, sworn to fight for their country whether it be right or wrong, at least don't switch sides when they get a better offer.

It is not difficult to conceive of a civilization who could tell the difference between a truth and a lie, and who might lie just as we do for personal game, but who might find the meticulously engineered and mutually agreed-upon, socially acceptable lies of propaganda, advertisng and public relations totally inconceivable. Yes, it would be a weapon of great power, and once someone used it successfully, it would instantly become part of that civilization's arsenal. If this is unique to our culture, I feel it would spread like wildfire across the galaxy.

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