The Most Dangerous Meme

When we think about what other people think, are we projecting or fantasising or giving in to the absurd?

“He’s only saying what other people are thinking.” — a supporter of Donald Trump

I have so many questions about this statement.

Who are these other people? Are they friends of yours? Are you acquiescing your ability to think independently and actually own the absurdity? Why are these people thinking like this? Has anyone actually contemplated a future based on these thoughts?

And then…

Are you so hurt that your thoughts are jumbled, you’re unsure what to say? Will the pain you will inflict with your words and potentially — god forbid — your actions fill the deep hole inside of your heart? How do we understand what is really bothering you?

If we claim it’s what other people are thinking, it’s pretty much unverifiable. Spock — where are you?! If we claim outlandish and patently absurd statements by an aspiring leader of a large nation exist in the minds of other people — we don’t have to own them. It’s a clever way to propagate ideas that almost all of us innately know are wrong.

This meme is the ebola of idea-viruses.

Stream after stream of news is filled with this anecdotal quote by supporters of the ulimate insane clown — and we know what happens when we repeat a message enough times to enough people. Scary.

Perhaps this is what we deserve. To eat our own.

Our lack of attention and increased apathy has consequences. While a person is spouting this meme about other people’s thoughts — other people are doing nothing. Actually, that’s not true — some are laughing and others are crying. But, few are speaking out. Few with a platform to match.

I’m not talking about arguing with the clown. I don’t think confronting the bully will stop the meme. Meeting him at the park at 3pm isn’t going to solve anything. I do think we need to seek to understand how it is possible for more than a few people to recite this most dangerous of memes.

When we see and hear this meme, we need to be asking ourselves the big questions of life.

Why are we here? What is love? What does it mean to be human?

Once we understand the roots of this meme, we can begin to help people infected with this idea-virus. Otherwise, we are all screwed.