Memes and Nice Guys

Dawkins portrays several ideas in chapter ten and eleven. As we have heard all throughout the book, DNA are replicators  which create every living thing on earth, and that these sometimes make mistakes that then lead to evolution. Now, he comes up with this idea of memes. These are ideas or beliefs that remain with some people and to which some can relate. Like in 9gag, there are memes that everybody who visits 9gag can identify with. "Cultural transmission is analogous to genetic transmission in that, although basically conservative, it can give a rise to a form of evolution." (Pg. 189) I strongly disagree with he point that he makes that memes go from one brain to another replicating ideas. Ideas have nothing to do with genes, a person form itself through time, and changes through time. No one is born to do something specifically or to be the one destined to portray certain idea. It does not work like that. People base themselves on the environment that they are exposed to and by what they are taught (whatever method he or she was taught to) to create who they are. For example leadership. Leaders are not born, they are made. The same with ideas; as people grow and learn they conclude different things about different topics. Many have different opinions and think differently on many things. They were not born thinking like that, they based themselves on what they were taught and on whatever he or she is evaluating to create a solid and supported conclusion about it. Culture is transmitted from one person to another, but it has nothing to do with genes.

One thing that Dawkins talks about to which I agree is that he portrays God as a meme. Its just a common figure that many identify with and/or believe in. No one is certain that God exists, but many believe that he does. He is portrayed and seen in many different ways but in the end it is an idea that people have, or in Dawkins words a meme. The argument is perfectly valid, since many just use God as an excuse for many things, or just to have a place to go to in rough times. In tough times some people just pray, in a way just hiding from reality behind a meme. Well, that is each one of us' choice, as everyone is different and hence have different ideologies about life and God. "God exits, if only in the form of a meme with high survival value, or ineffective power, in the environment provided by human culture." (Pg. 193)

In the end Dawkins talks about the "nice guy" finishing first. Well some might think, what is that supposed to mean? To me, he is referring in a way to karma, and to values. Since we are very little we are taught values and morals so that we are correct and decent people. Just think about it with some logic, if you are nice and good at what you do you will be respected, you will be liked by many, and you will be successful in life. Nice people make friends. Mean people make enemies. Its that easy, no need to over think this statement, if you are good you will be rewarded and results from your good actions will eventually come. The key is to be good, work hard, be perseverant and (of course in different proportions due to the fact that unfortunately not everybody is born into the same circumstances) results will eventually come therefore the statement of finishing first. Finishing is success.   '





   

The Selfish Gene

After reading The Selfish Gene (actually just 2 chapters), I found out some interesting statements that are made throughout the book. According to Dawkins, the human is selfish. I wonder why the human is selfish, and where that argument comes from. He says that it is because of the genes, that make humans selfsh. He talks about DNA and how animals (ncluding humans) are conformed by genes that determine how they act and who they are.


I strongly disagree with that. I believe that the only thing that genes affect are the physical traits of one. Who someone becomes or who someone is depends on the environment that he or she is exposed to throughout their lives. That is why people change and take different decisions. You learn values throughout your life, that make you who you are. Your parents also affect a lot in how they raise you and what they teach you is wrong or right, since when you are very little you have not discovered many things yet. Genes only affect our body, and not our feelings.


A very impacting frase that he uses is: "They are in you and me; they created us... Now they go by the name of genes, and we are their survival machines". He is basically saying that genes control us, like if they weren't part of us, but as if we were their slaves. Like if they used us to survive but they are the ones that make you who you are and just use the body to represent themsleves. I still say that values are learned as time passes and that people change throughout their lives, depending on many factors like experiences, situations, people, environment exposement, etc. I believe that genes just make you physically, which of course affects in a way because that may decide if someone else likes your physical traits or not. BUt that is not the point right now, the point is that genes do not affect who you are and did not create us, I believe that God created us.


He of course, believes that the genes are our type of God, and that without them we would not exist. In a way it is true, but only to the extent that scientifically genes form our genetic material and define us. But genes are not the reason that we exist, I mean its not like they control us or that they can "think". They are just genetic traits that you inherit and that form your body up, but in the end it all depends on who you become depending on the environments you are exposed to and who you want to be. Also he talks about how humans are individualistic and don't think abut group benefit, only about individual benefit. And that genes are capable of using others to make one prosper, making us their survival machines as mentioned before. I just find that statement out of context, I think that it is a bit exagerated to think that all this has to do with one's genetic material. 


He says that everything about us have to do with genes, and I think that it is just crazy to think that. I mean, what about guilt, what about people going mentally crazy, what about something as "simple" as choosing religion and beliefs. That has nothing to do with genes. Has to do with character, personality, and morals.