A thought... on memes and trends

Little thought machines aside, a theory about how thoughts travel is that of memes. A meme, according to the dictionary is a cultural unit (an idea or value or pattern of behavior) that is passed from one generation to another by nongenetic means (as by imitation); "memes are the cultural counterpart of genes".



There is so much to see on this, but for now, my current interest stays in the way trends are carried by groups of people. It is interesting to notice how trends gain intensity and are adopted or rejected: flows of ideas (and thoughts) that sweep through communities and take root in their lives, becoming the ground for their actions, moods and more ideas. So, from exploring a single thought and how it shapes a person, I am now curious about how groups of thoughts shape societies.

What comes first though? The chicken or the egg?

The more I think of these, the more I feel so tiny, a small bubble in a vast ocean...