Means of Penetration for Memes

We looked at three methods of penetration: repetition, cognitive dissonance, and the Trojan horse. When a virus of the mind infects you, it may resemble one of these scenarios:

- Repetition. Repeating a meme until it becomes familiar and part of your programming is one method of mind-virus penetration:

• Hearing a similar message repeatedly on television news, commercials, talk radio, and so on

• Being in a group or organization where, for instance, a charter is read or an oath is taken at each meeting

• Hearing a point of view or opinion repeatedly-for example, about gun control or abortion (if you are not among the first to be infected, you could hear it from a wide variety of different infected people)

- Cognitive dissonance. Being placed in a paradoxical or mentally uncomfortable situation can lead to being reprogrammed with new memes that relieve the mental stress:

• Going through an initiation or hazing or a series of tests

• Taking a confrontational or uncomfortable seminar or course that gives a great sense of relief at the end

• Reaching some goal or reward after a struggle or after having been told you're not good enough

- Trojan horse. Bundling less-attractive memes with more appealing ones:

• Listening to a concept that mostly seems right but has a few components that kind of rub you the wrong way

• Hearing appeals to help children, resolve a crisis, feed starving people, and the like

• Being asked to believe something that seems odd just out of trust

• Being presented with an opportunity to get more or better sex or relationships by adopting some new beliefs

This is by no means an exhaustive list of methods of penetration by viruses of the mind. However, if you're looking to see what mind viruses you are already infected with, looking back to see which of these scenarios you've been through may give you some clues.

Ways memes infect.